


When They Came

by TheTimeTraveler24



Series: When They Came [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-19 15:56:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 84
Words: 125,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22313566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTimeTraveler24/pseuds/TheTimeTraveler24
Summary: The day they came was a Tuesday.Tuesday was particularly memorable for more reasons than that. Tuesday was the day Hestia destroyed Kronos’ scythe. Tuesday was the day Luke Castellan destroyed Kronos. Tuesday was the day Camp Half-Blood held off the Titan Army in Manhattan. Tuesday was the day Nico di Angelo and his father Hades fought to save Olympus. Tuesday was the day Poseidon helped defeat Typhon. Tuesday was the day Rachel Elizabeth Dare became the new Oracle of Delphi. Tuesday was the day Percy Jackson gave up godhood in favor of forcing the gods to claim their children. Tuesday was the day the Great Prophecy was fulfilled. Tuesday was the day the new Great Prophecy was made. And Tuesday was the day Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase finally started dating.But they came on Tuesday too.The day after the Titan War ends, changes start to happen. For some reason they seem to happen around Percy Jackson (because naturally the strange things must happen to him), Annabeth Chase (she always gets dragged into whatever mess Percy's found himself in), and Nico di Angelo (as if being the son of Hades wasn't strange enough). As they enter the next war, it's up to these three to make sure it ends right.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: When They Came [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711963
Comments: 433
Kudos: 529
Collections: Time Travel and World Travel





	1. Arrival

The day they came was a Tuesday.

Tuesday was particularly memorable for more reasons than that. Tuesday was the day Hestia destroyed Kronos’ scythe. Tuesday was the day Luke Castellan destroyed Kronos. Tuesday was the day Camp Half-Blood held off the Titan Army in Manhattan. Tuesday was the day Nico di Angelo and his father Hades fought to save Olympus. Tuesday was the day Poseidon helped defeat Typhon. Tuesday was the day Rachel Elizabeth Dare became the new Oracle of Delphi. Tuesday was the day Percy Jackson gave up godhood in favor of forcing the gods to claim their children. Tuesday was the day the Great Prophecy was fulfilled. Tuesday was the day the new Great Prophecy was made. And Tuesday was the day Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase finally started dating.

But they came on Tuesday too.

August 18, 2009, marked the end of the Titan War and everything that came with wars ending. It was mourning and celebrations. It was supposed to be the beginning of peace.

Tuesday was the day the fight ended, but Tuesday was the day everything finally went to Hades.

It wasn’t so much of an obvious arrival. No, they only realized the arrival happened on Tuesday much later. But there was a change in the Camp. A sudden breeze or whisper, and a feeling inside each demigods’ gut.

It was the dreams too.

They all had been through a lot during the war, and no one could argue that Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, and Grover Underwood who had been there at the very end had gotten the worst of it all. But it was not enough to warrant the dreams.

At 10:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009, the screams started. No one knew why, but Percy and Annabeth were screaming in their sleep.

Nico di Angelo was staying in the Poseidon cabin with Percy until he finished construction on the new Hades cabin. He seemed to know exactly what to do. It shouldn’t have been possible considering how tired he was after fighting monsters the whole day, but he managed to shadow travel himself and Percy into the Athena cabin where they were met with confused and scared Athena kids. He quickly woke the two screaming demigods up.

Percy’s eyes seemed much older. He barely registered his surroundings.

“Excuse us,” Percy said firmly, dragging Annabeth and Nico out of the cabin.

Annabeth did not return to the Athena cabin that night.

Wednesday, August 19, brought something new. Annabeth and Percy walked into the dining pavilion hand in hand. They sat down together at the Poseidon table despite the rules of not being able to sit at a different cabin’s table.

Chiron raised an eyebrow, but the events of last night had clearly reached him because he said nothing. At least not in front of everyone.

Then there was the subtle change in Nico di Angelo. The son of Hades had been very much secluded prior to the end of the war, however, he was seemingly trying to make an effort to be more sociable. For one, he started to smile and laugh however small when he was with Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia. For two, through some mutual understanding of some kind that was unseen by the other campers, he and Will Solace started a strange kind of friendship that was so unlikely to work that it worked just fine.

And so it continued throughout the rest of the summer until the very last day of camp for the campers that went back to school.

Percy and Annabeth seemed much too reluctant to leave. They had flat out told Chiron they were going to share Poseidon’s cabin and if he wanted to argue with them they would like to see him sleep at night with the nightmares that plagued them. Chiron must have understood, because he went deathly pale and nothing more was spoken of the subject. This would be the first time they would leave the security of the camp.

Percy’s goodbyes were strange too. He gave Nico a long hug and made him promise.

“Hazel,” Percy said seriously, looking into Nico’s eyes. “And don’t tell me anything. Promise?”

Nico looked reluctant to do so. “Promises worry me.”

Percy scowled at nothing. “Well  _ you _ don’t have to worry.” His eyes flickered with a dark shadow. “Don’t go looking either. Annabeth and I will figure it out.”

Annabeth’s eyes seemed to darken for a moment. “We’ll see you in June.”

Nico nodded. “See you then.” He allowed a small smile. “I’ve got to go soon then. And, yeah, I promise. Just don’t hurt me when you see me.”

“No promises,” Percy said with a grin. “But I’ll remember this conversation, so we’re all good.”

“You’re leaving?” Will asked Nico.

Nico shrugged. “For a while. I’ll probably pop in from time to time. But I’ve missed a lot. Lot of world to see. Getting old sucks,” he said, referring to his actual age.

Percy and Will snickered, while Annabeth sighed.

“Iris message us,” Annabeth told Nico. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“Bye, Annabeth,” Nico said wryly. “Later, Will.”

“What about me?” Percy asked looking offended.

Nico eyed him dubiously. “Eh, still not my type,” he said before melting into the shadows. A ghost of his laugh echoed.

Percy sputtered before stalking away.

“Bye, Chiron,” Percy said to the centaur. “It’s been real.”

Chiron looked startled. “Are you not returning next summer?”

“I’ll be back,” Percy promised. “Annabeth will kill me if I don’t come back.”

Annabeth nodded to confirm this. “Yep. So don’t do anything stupid, Seaweed Brain.”

Percy turned to face the group of campers as a whole. He raised a hand.

“Bye, everyone!” he shouted. Then he spread his middle and ring fingers. “Live long and prosper!”

Annabeth just shook her head before pulling her boyfriend out of the camp’s borders. “Come on, Percy. If we don’t hurry it’ll be December before we get out of here.”

It was small things like that too that indicated the arrival of something new. Inside jokes that weren’t very funny to those in the know. Someone would say something and look at someone else, but the joke they very clearly shared was no laughing matter.

When they came, it was not obvious. When they came, there was no celebrations for the knowledge they brought. When they came, no one knew to care.

Time passed on. Year round campers trained. Some new campers arrived. The new cabins were finished. The months passed by. September, October, November, December.

Then Annabeth showed up. Her eyes sought out Nico because he seemed to be in on the whole thing. He gave her a terse shake of his head.

“Percy’s missing,” Annabeth announced in the middle of dinner. “Chiron, we have to talk.”

She marched off to the Big House, stunned centaur following her a moment later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're going to see how this goes. PJO time travel fics have always been a real struggle because of the prophecies telling you how exactly something is going to go. But let's roll with this.
> 
> Also, you guys have no idea the struggle it was to enter in the relationships. Jason/Piper did not come up the first million times I searched nor did Nico/Will. Which was confusing for me because usually the canon ships will pop up first for me.
> 
> Anyway, tell me how you liked it. I have a general idea of how this is going to go and I have a nice backstory planned too.


	2. A Tale of Heroes (Annabeth II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a question about what exactly is going on. The first chapter wasn't super clear on that, so I hope this clears things up.

Whatever Annabeth has been expecting, it certainly wasn’t this. Sure she knew that certain events were much more likely to happen in the same order, but for the love of the gods, couldn’t this be an even that didn’t have to happen?

When she had realized Percy was missing, she had automatically told Sally and Paul who, thanks to her, were now out of their minds with worry. Never mind that she assured them that everything was going to be fine because her reasoning of “it’s a feeling” would not have been reassuring to her the first time.

“Percy’s missing. Chiron, we need to talk.”

She hadn’t even waited to see if he would follow her. Considering the news she had just blurted about the all powerful son of Poseidon going missing, the centaur might be frozen in shock.

Annabeth waited patiently in the Big House.

“I decided to tag along,” Nico announced as he followed Chiron into the room usually reserved for Head Counselor meetings. “I figured I could help you do what I think you’re going to do.”

The underlying message of  _ I remember how bad it was before, let me be there for you _ , was clear. Annabeth appreciated it.

“What could possibly be happening?” Chiron asked her urgently. “Percy is missing you said? I need to know what happened? Where could he have gone?”

Annabeth held up a hand. “At this moment, I have no idea  _ where _ he is. In June he should be somewhere in California. But that’s beside the point.” She exhaled sharply. “You know how I said Percy and I had been to a place no demigod has ever survived on our quest to save the world? I wasn’t being exactly truthful. However hard to believe it might be, last summer after Kronos was defeated… Percy, Nico, and I just kinda… woke up.”

“Not in the sense that we were asleep,” Nico added. “More like we suddenly had these moments flashing before our eyes and then  _ BAM!” _ He clapped his hands together, startling Chiron. “It was like a whole new set of memories.”

Chiron’s eyes narrowed. “I think I understand what you’re saying. What you are describing… it sounds a lot like time travel to me, but time… that’s my father’s domain.”

“I don’t know why we came back,” Annabeth admitted. “It wasn’t  _ him _ . I don’t think there’s enough of him to do anything right now. When Percy and I were down there, I could feel the monsters, but I never felt anything from  _ him _ .”

“Down there? Di immortales!” Chiron exclaimed. “You were in Tartarus?”

Nico nodded. “Yeah. Not my idea of a picnic. Anyway, point is, Hera’s taken Percy and hidden him away until she can do her whole exchange camper program. Percy will go to the Roman camp and Jason is suppose to come here to the Greek camp.”

“Hera plays a dangerous game,” Chiron said lowly. “The camps have been separated for years. However, I suppose everything turns out for the better?”

Annabeth’s face darkened. “It did for some of us. The Seven of the prophecy that is. Then everything kind of…”

“Everything that could go wrong went wrong,” Nico finished for her.

.

_ Percy’s nosebleed flashed before her eyes. It shouldn’t have mattered. What was a small insignificant nosebleed compared to the numerous gashed and injuries Percy had taken over the years. _

_ But the blood of Olympus was all Gaea needed to wake. _

_ They rushed to Camp Half-Blood as fast as they could which was faster than they ever thought possible considering Zeus chucked them across the world. _

_ When the Seven arrived at Camp Half-Blood, the Greeks and Romans were united against Gaea and her monsters. For a moment it looked like they were winning. _

_ Leo snatched Gaea from the Earth and shot into the sky on Festus. Jason and Piper were quick to follow. Annabeth prayed to every god and goddess she could name off the top of her head that this would work. _

_ A fireball was launched into the sky at Leo who was still holding Gaea captive. Jason and Piper were free falling towards the ground. The fireball climbed higher and higher. It shot past Leo and Festus by inches. Then the world ended. _

“FOOLISH HEROES,” _ Gaea’s voice rang out. _

_ And suddenly the ground was no longer solid. It was a shifting mass. And then the gods and goddesses appeared, frantically grabbing hold of as many demigods as they could. _

_ “No! Nico don’t you dare!” Annabeth could hear someone shout. Was that Will Solace? “Nico! Ni-” She didn’t want to know why his voice cut off. Either a god had disappeared with the young son of Apollo, Nico had shadow traveled Will, or Will was… _

_ “Annabeth!” That was Percy. He stumbled towards her, feet fumbling over the shifting ground. “Come on! We have to get off the ground.” _

_ “Agreed.” Jason looked exhausted. He had Piper tightly against his left side. “I’ll give you a lift.” _

_ Percy pushed Annabeth towards him. “Take Annabeth! I’ll find my dad.” _

_ An explosion rocked the sky above them. _

_ “Leo!” Piper shrieked. _

_ Jason wrapped his right arm around Annabeth and shot off into the sky with one last look at Percy. _

_ Whether it was the shock of it all or the fact that Jason had left Percy, Annabeth passed out. When she came too, there was silence. Well, not quite. Hushed whispers in the silence would be more accurate. _

_ “You’re awake!” Percy grinned. “Just in time. We’re about to meet to discuss battle plans.” _

_ Annabeth sat up. She was in a hospital bed. “Battle what? Percy, what happened?” _

_ Percy’s smile fell. “What do you remember?” _

_ “Gaea,” Annabeth murmured. “The Earth wasn’t safe.The gods… they came to help us escape, right? Where are we, Percy?” _

_ “Surprised you don’t recognize your own handiwork,” a subdued voice said. The man had dull blonde hair, but he looked familiar. “You’re on Olympus.” _

_ “Apollo got let out of time out,” Percy explained. He looked sad. “It’s all hands on deck now. The gods got most of us out in time, but… not all.” _

_ “Nico,” Annabeth mumbled. “I heard Will Solace yelling at Nico. Are… are they okay?” _

_ “Nico’s fine,” Percy answered. “He will be at least. He shadow traveled himself, Will, and Lou Ellen to Olympus as soon as he realized what was happening. From what I heard, Will flipped out about it. I think he’s waiting for Nico to be an actual substantial thing before he beats him up. I guess Nico wasn’t supposed to do that anymore.” He didn’t say anything else. _

_ The walk to Athena’s temple was quiet. Percy had explained that the battle planning was done in the temple of the wisdom goddess, but said little else. _

_ “Daughter,” Athena greeted. _

_ But Annabeth’s eyes were on the group of her friends from the prophecy. Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel. Leo was missing. What had happened before she passed out? Piper had yelled something. She yelled for Leo. Leo wasn’t here, and the Seven looked much more miserable than anyone else. Leo was dead. Of that she was sure. _

_ “Mom,” Annabeth acknowledged, chin trembling. Before she could stop herself, Annabeth threw herself at her mother and sobbed into her shoulder. _

_ Athena said nothing as she hugged her brightest daughter. _

_ “How long do we have?” Aphrodite, the most serious Annabeth’s ever seen her be, asked Athena. _

_ Athena finally let go of Annabeth. She contemplated the answer. “A few weeks if not days,” she replied finally. “We have in our charge half the Greek campers and half the Roman campers. They are all mortal and require food. We aren’t prepared to handle that. Ambrosia and nectar will only hold them over for half a week at most. Us gods will last longer, but eventually we’ll fade.” _

_ “We’ll do a supply run,” Percy said forcefully. “You said we can last on ambrosia for a few days. We just need to last until Jason or Nico are fully healed. Jason can fly, Nico can shadow travel.” _

_ “Nico won’t be awake for a few more days at best let alone capable of shadow traveling,” Apollo argued. “I’m doing my best, but he  _ needs _ rest. Jason might be able to grab a few snacks if he goes alone, but I don’t recommend it yet.” _

_ “How did this happen?” a Roman girl asked softly. _

_ Piper glared at Percy and Annabeth. “Ask them! It was their blood that woke her up!” _

_ “What did you expect?” Percy spat. “We were fighting monsters, Piper! When you fight monsters, you get hurt, okay? Don’t blame us for something that we had no control over!” _

_ “If your stupid nose hadn’t started bleeding, Leo would be alive!” Piper shouted. “Leo’s dead because you woke up Gaea!” _

_ “Enough!” Reyna shouted over the yelling. She addressed both camps. “Fighting gets us nowhere. What’s done is done. If it was not Percy or Annabeth, it would have been one of us at Camp Half-Blood. We are stuck on Olympus because the Earth is going to swallow us whole if we go down there. The only way we can get out of this is to work together. Percy had a good idea.” _

_ Jason nodded. “I can grab a few bags of chips and candy from gas stations and stuff. A trip everyday. We last as long as we can on ambrosia, then start on the real food. Should have a good stock pile by then.” _

_ Artemis looked at Ares. “We will train the heroes. My brother is needed in the infirmary.” She looked at Thalia. “Gather the hunters. I want them to assist in archery practice.” _

_ Thalia nodded. “Of course.” She dipped her head in respect before leaving the temple in search of the hunters. _

.

“We stayed on Olympus for a month,” Annabeth said quietly. “Artemis and Ares trained us until we were dead on our feet everyday. That’s when the giants attacked. They forced their way into Olympus. We would kill them and they would just keep coming back.”

“It was two weeks before the giants retreated,” Nico added. “They weren’t getting anywhere, and we were stranded in Olympus. What did they have to fear?”

Chiron listened sadly. “How did you come back here?” he asked gently.

Annabeth shook her head. “We don’t know.”

An iris message shimmered to life in front of Chiron. A familiar face looked at them.

“I’ve got two,” the satyr said to Chiron. “A lot older than they should be.”

“Gleeson,” Chiron sighed. “You startled me. Have they shown any indication of knowing who they are?”

Coach Hedge shook his head. “Not yet, but they’re pretty powerful. And there’s definitely a monster somewhere. I don’t know where though.”

Chiron nodded. “Keep an eye on them, and keep me updated. We’ll send someone if things get worse.”

“How old are they?” Annabeth blurted. “Who are they?”

Coach Hedge gave her a strange look. “Who are you?”

“Forgive, Annabeth,” Chiron said. “She’s just curious. Although, I must admit my curiosity as well. How old are they?”

“The boy, Leo Valdez, is fifteen, and the girl, Piper McLean, is also fifteen,” Coach Hedge explained.

Nico let out a low curse. “They should have been claimed. Percy made them promise.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Annabeth said sharply. “Nico, let’s go.” She lead the son of Hades out of the Big House and down towards the beach. With a glance around to make sure they were alone, Annabeth said, “You need to go. You can’t be here when they arrive.”

Nico twisted his silver skull ring. “Yeah. I know. I’ll Iris message you when he shows up.” He headed back towards the main area of Camp. Probably to say bye to Will.

“Is it true then?”

Annabeth glanced behind her at Clarisse. “Thought you went home for break.”

“Chiron asked me back for a few days,” Clarisse answered, crossing her arms. “So? Prissy’s gone?”

“I’ll find him,” Annabeth said forcefully. She stood up and walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is a time travel fic. I love those. My first try at a PJO one though.


	3. Underwhelming Rescue Party (Jason III)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections have been taken from Heroes of Olympus The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Jason watched the chariot land. Two teenagers were riding it. Both had orange t-shirts and shields. One guy was bulky with a shaved head. The girl was tall and blonde. She looked angry which didn’t bode well since from what Jason understood, they were supposed to be part of this extraction squad Coach Hedge was talking about.

“Where’s your protector, Gleeson Hedge?” the girl asked them.

The coach’s first name was Gleeson? Jason might’ve laughed if the morning hadn’t been quite so weird and scary. Gleeson Hedge: football coach, goat man, protector of demigods. Sure. Why not?

Leo cleared his throat. “He got taken by some … tornado things.”

“Venti,” Jason said. “Storm spirits.”

The blonde girl’s eyes flicked toward him. “Anemoi thuellai. That’s the Greek term. Who are you? What happened?”

Jason tried to explain what happened, but given that his memory was practically non-existent, he felt like he was failing to meet this girl’s standards of explanation. It was proven true when the blonde girl glared at the ground.

“He should have been here!” she growled. She clenched her fists together. “She told me I’d find the answer here!”

Upon further inspection, Jason noticed the girl had bloodshot eyes and dark bags. For whatever reason, this girl had not been sleeping well for a while.

“Annabeth,” the bald guy grunted. “Check it out.” He pointed at Jason’s feet.

Jason hadn’t thought much about it, but he was still missing his left shoe, which had been blown off by the lightning. His bare foot felt okay, but it looked like a lump of charcoal.

“The guy with one shoe,” said the bald dude. “He’s the answer.”

“No, Butch,” the girl insisted. “He can’t be. I was tricked.” She glared at the sky as though it had done something wrong. “What do you want from me?” she screamed. “Bring him back!”

The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.

“Annabeth,” said the bald dude, Butch, “we gotta leave. Let’s get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back.”

She fumed for a moment. “Fine.” She fixed Jason with a resentful look. “We’ll settle this later.” She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.

Piper shook her head. “What’s  _ her  _ problem? What’s going on?”

“Seriously,” Leo agreed.

“We have to get you out of here,” Butch said. “I’ll explain on the way.”

“I’m not going anywhere with her.” Jason gestured toward the blonde. “She looks like she wants to kill me.”

Butch hesitated. “Annabeth’s okay. You gotta cut her some slack. Her boyfriend’s been missing for three days now. She’s… it’s been difficult for her.” He shifted awkwardly as if he was saying something he shouldn’t be. “She hasn’t slept in three days, but she said she had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem.”

“Who is he?” Piper asked curiously.

“His name’s Percy Jackson,” Butch answered.

.

Crashing into the lake was not fun. Jason personally thought Annabeth was crazy to suggest it, but regardless of the craziness of it, they survived. For a daughter of the wisdom goddess, Annabeth seemed to be less than sane.

Annabeth passed out in the water. Jason and Butch helped drag her out of the water. A detail of campers ran up with big bronze leaf blowers and blew them all dry. Annabeth was still unconscious.

“Annabeth!” A guy with a bow and quiver on his back pushed through the growing crowd. “Oh gods! Is she okay?”

Butch grunted. “Passed out in the water. Finally. Just wish it didn’t happen in the water.”

The guy nodded sympathetically. “I’ll take her to the infirmary. Kayla!” he called someone in the crowd. “Get Clovis. Tell him to meet me.”

A girl with shocking green hair nodded and rushed off.

The guys shouldered Annabeth, but looked around in confusion. “No Percy?”

“Wasn’t there,” Butch confirmed. The campers groaned. “Sorry about the chariot, Will.”

Will waved it off. “It’s fine. We can fix it.” His eyes finally landed on Jason, Piper, and Leo. “These guys? But they're way older than thirteen. I thought Percy made the gods promise to claim their kids.”

“Claimed?” Leo asked.

Suddenly there was a collective gasp. The campers backed away. At first Jason thought this Percy Jackson guy might have appeared from thin air. He pictured a teenage boy popping out from behind him saying,  _ Sup. What’d I miss? _ He quickly banished that thought when he saw the red light like someone had lit a torch behind him. He turned and gasped too.

Floating over Leo’s head was a blazing holographic image of a fiery hammer.

“That’s claiming,” Will said. He glanced at the crowd nervously.

“What’d I do?” Leo backed toward the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped. “Is my hair on fire?” He ducked, but the symbol followed him, bobbing and weaving so it looked like he was trying to write something in flames with his head.

“This can’t be good,” Butch muttered. “The curse—”

“Butch, shut up,” Will snapped. “Leo, you’ve just been claimed—”

“By a god,” Jason interrupted. “That’s the symbol of Vulcan, isn’t it?” All eyes turned to him.

“Jason,” Butch said carefully, “how did you know that?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Vulcan?” Leo demanded. “I don’t even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?”

“Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus,” Will said, “the god of blacksmiths and fire.”

The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him. “The god of what? Who?”

Will looked at Butch. “Can you give Leo a tour and show him to Cabin Nine? I’d do it, but I’m not sure how long she’ll be asleep.”

Butch nodded. “Sure thing.”

“What’s Cabin Nine?” Leo asked. “And I’m not a Vulcan!”

“Come on, Mr. Spock, I’ll explain everything.” Butch put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward the cabins.

Will turned back to Jason and Piper. “Follow me. Chiron wants to see you,” he told Jason.

.

As it turned out, the infirmary was next to the Big House where this Chiron was. Will put Annabeth in a bed where a sleepy looking kid was waiting.

“I’ll take care of it,” the boy yawned. “Might need to force her to dream if she gets bad nightmares.”

Will nodded. “Just make sure she gets rested.”

When they entered the Big House, a strange sight greeted them. A man stood there, but his lower half was the lower half of a horse. His eyes hardened when they saw Jason. It made Jason squirm a little. Every instinct in him was screaming that he should run as far away as he could.

“Thank you, Will,” the centaur said. “Could you show Piper to the Hermes cabin?”

Will winced. “Uh, Annabeth’s asleep. I have Clovis watching her, but I want to be close. Wanted to IM Nico, too. See if he can do anything. Sorry, Chiron.”

Chiron frowned. “Ah. Well, then you better get going. Where is Mr. di Angelo?”

“With his dad,” Will answered tightly. “Dunno why. He hates his stepmom.”

Chiron didn’t say anything, but Jason thought there might be something the centaur knew and wasn’t telling Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously Jason both has no memory and does not know Annabeth's secret. I think I'm going to skip over the Lost Hero and the Son of Neptune since those would pretty much play out the same regardless. Do some more with Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, and Hazel though.  
> As for telling others... Chiron was a necessity I think. It's kind of a pet peeve of mine that the characters that time traveled immediately tell their friends. Like if Harry Potter straight up just tells the whole Order of the Phoenix that he time traveled to end the war earlier or whatever instead of telling just Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius, and Remus or something like that for example.  
> I'm super happy that people seem to like this a lot! Like I said, it's my first attempt at a PJO time travel fic, so that means a lot. Thanks guys!


	4. Bigger Boat (Leo IV)

Leo wasn’t sure when he noticed the strange things that seemed to go on at Camp Half-Blood. When he had revealed his plan to build a giant flying boat to sail on to the Roman camp, he knew his fellow demigod campers were reckless enough to try it.

Annabeth had gotten a hold of the blueprints, and when she finally gave them back, Leo noted a slight change in the layout. Two of the bedrooms had been combined into a larger bedroom. And a few guest rooms had been added. He tried not to bring it up around her.

Naturally, he failed at that.

“Why’d you mess with my blueprints?” Leo finally blurted at the first progress meeting.

Annabeth jolted. “What?”

Leo crossed his arms. “For the boat. You changed the layout a little. Why?”

“Because we need extra bedrooms,” Annabeth crossed her arms. “You never know what might happen on the quest.” Her eyes seemed to dart towards the empty Hades chair for some reason.

“You made one room bigger though!” Leo complained. “I’m not about to be fighting over who gets the biggest room, which by the way, I feel like I deserve that since I’m the one who realized we had to make the boat. You’re welcome.”

Annabeth said nothing, but she raised an eyebrow challengingly. This kind of made Leo mad.

“Dude, that’s Annabeth and Percy’s room,” Will Solace hissed.

_ Annabeth and Percy’s room _ , Leo thought. His eyes widened. “Wait, what? You two…”

“No,” Annabeth said sharply. “We share a room so we can get some sleep. Otherwise the nightmares get worse. That’s final.  _ Don’t _ bring it up.”

Judging by the faces of the other Head Counselors, this was not new information. Jason and Piper looked a bit startled at least.

The Stoll brothers looked serious for once. A grim look passed between them. They gave Leo a disapproving look.

“Solace,” Clarisse called to Will. “Your boyfriend get any news about the Doors of Death yet?”

Will sputtered. “He’s not my boyfriend,” he argued. “But no. Nico said he was going to ask his dad once Persephone leaves the Underworld. So probably sometime in April or March?”

Jason grimaced and placed a hand on his head. “Ow. Who’s Nico?”

Annabeth frowned. “Jason, is your head alright? You didn’t get hurt earlier did you?”

“No, I’m fine,” Jason said absently, rubbing his head. “I think my memory is still coming back.”

Annabeth passed him an ambrosia square. “Here.”

Jason gratefully accepted it. "Nico. Name sounds familiar."

Leo noted Annabeth’s avoidance of the question, and how the rest of the counselors let the matter drop. After the fiasco that was his burning question about the blueprints, Leo let the matter drop too.

When Annabeth was inspecting the framework a few weeks later, she muttered to herself as she went through the rooms.

“Percy and I… Jason… Piper… Leo…” she mumbled. “Nico just in case…”

Leo wondered if maybe he should have brought up Nico’s name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little short, but there ya go. I'm really liking this story. I cranked out like fifteen chapters already. Now it's just a matter of posting them.  
> I can't remember exactly how it goes in the books, but in my head, two people (three people) do not go through something like Tartarus without having some serious PTSD or something. Nico's got his own way of coping, Percy and Annabeth just need to be close.


	5. Another Camp (Nico V)

It was silly to hope that his presence had changed things. Don’t get him wrong, Nico loved his half-sister and fully intended on rescuing her. But Bianca was his sister, and he had to check.

“I know why you’re here.”

Nico whirled around, sword out. He let out a huff when he saw who it was. “Dad.”

Hades was dressed in his usual black robes. The souls of the dead woven in the fabric stared at Nico.

“She chose rebirth,” Hades said.

Nico kicked at the ground. “Yeah. I know. I just… thought I was wrong.”

Hades seemed to struggle for a moment. Then he said, “Thanatos is chained. I nearly went to her to tell her that.”

“You would have had to ignore her,” Nico pointed out. “Once Thanatos has been freed.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket. “I have to go.” He walked away from his father.

“There is another camp,” Hades blurted.

Nico froze and turned back. “Another camp?”

Hades did not meet Nico’s eyes. “A Roman camp. I cannot say much about it. The Roman gods are very much alive, and within us.” He grimaced. “My Roman form is Pluto. I want you to find the camp and introduce yourself as my ambassador.”

“An ambassador of Pluto,” Nico repeated. He had expected this, but until now, he had not thought to question it. “Why? Why now?”

“I have concerns,” Hades said simply. “I pray I am wrong, but if I am right, you will need to know about the Romans.” He disappeared.

Nico stared at the place where his father had been before heading away. He kept walking until he reached the Fields of Asphodel.

A girl with dark skin and wild, curly brown hair was there wandering around. She seemed almost bored. When she noticed Nico, she gasped.

“You’re different,” Nico said. “A child of Pluto. You remember your past.”

“Yes,” she said. “And you’re alive.”

Nico paused. “I’m Nico di Angelo,” he finally said. “Son of… son of Pluto. Death has gone missing. You’re my sister, and you deserve another chance. Will you come with me?”

“Hazel Levesque,” she introduced herself. “Do you mean you can bring me back to life?”

“I can,” Nico nodded. “I’ll take you to a safe place. It’s a camp for people like us. Demigods.”

“Demigods,” Hazel tested the word. Then she swallowed. “I… I can’t. I’m cursed.”

Nico gave her a sad look.  _ She wasn’t cursed. Not in the end _ . “The jewels. I know. I’ll help you. I… I promise.” He winced internally. He hated promises.  _ An oath to keep with a final breath _ . It wasn’t the promise to lead the crew to Espirus. It wasn’t the promise to help Hazel last time. But there was supposed to be a promise that, according to the prophecy, someone would die trying to keep.

Hazel nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”

.

Nico knew exactly where to go. When they left the Underworld, he shadow traveled himself and Hazel to the street across from the entrance to Camp Jupiter. He saw the two guards watching them.

“What was that?” Hazel gasped as a car zoomed past. “Is that a… a car?”

Nico grimaced. “Yeah. About that. The world has come pretty far. It’s 2009 right now.”

Hazel stared at the world around her with an opened mouth. “Nico, I… I can’t do this. I died in the 1940s. How can I just-”

“I’m from the 40s too,” Nico interrupted her. “My dad put me and my sister into the Lotus Casino Hotel. Time moves slower in there. I only got out a few years ago. It’s a big change, but don’t worry, Hazel. You’re going to be… you’re going to do fine.”

“Who are you?” one of the guards asked as Nico and Hazel approached the camp entrance.

Nico looked him dead in the eyes. He hoped it was as unnerving as everyone said it was. “Nico di Angelo. My father sent me here to be his Ambassador. This is my sister Hazel Levesque. We’re both children of Pluto.”

Both guards’ eyes widened. The exchanged nervous looks.

“Follow me,” the second guard said quickly. “I’ll take you to Reyna and Jason.”

Nico flinched, probably noticeable, he thought with a scowl. Of course he would run into Jason. Jason hadn’t disappeared yet.

“Michael,” a voice said in surprise, knocking Nico out of his thoughts. “What are you doing? Don’t you have guard duty?”

With a start, Nico realized the guard was Michael Kahale. Michael removed his helmet. “Praetor Grace. These two appeared at the entrance. They claim to be children of Pluto.”

Jason Grace looked different without his glasses, Nico noted.

“State your names please,” Jason requested.

“Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto,” Hazel stammered.

Nico exhaled. “Nico di Angelo, son of Pluto. My father sent me to be his Ambassador.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Ambassador of Pluto. You have a relationship with your father, then?”

“I do odd tasks here and there,” Nico answered firmly. The same answers he had given before floated to the forefront of his memory. “Collecting rogue spirits and hellhounds mostly.”

“Why has he sent you to be his Ambassador?”

“My father has his concerns,” Nico stated plainly. “He does not want anything like what happened last summer to happen again.”

Jason nodded. “Return to your post, legionnaire. Nico and Hazel, follow me.” He lead them to the Principia. “Reyna, two children of Pluto.” He gestured to Reyna who was clad in her purple cape and medals. “Nico, Hazel, this is Reyna. Reyna, this is Nico di Angelo and Hazel Levesque.”

“You claim to be children of Pluto,” Reyna said with an intrigued look.

Nico nodded. “As I told Praetor Grace, my father sent me here to become his ambassador. Along the way I found Hazel. My father told me who she was.”

Reyna still had that distrustful look Nico so fondly remembered from their first meeting. He couldn’t help but miss the Roman Praetor’s friendship from their journey to deliver the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood.

.

“Where do you disappear to?” Hazel asked Nico.

Nico shrugged. “Wherever. I’m just trying to practice my shadow travel really. I don’t want to be in trouble if I ever need to travel a long distance with a heavy load.”

Hazel giggled. “You’re anticipating a big travel mission?”

“I hope not,” Nico answered. “If it ever comes to that… well, it wouldn’t be the ideal situation to be in.” He cringed internally knowing that he probably just confused Hazel.

“You’re always saying things like this,” Hazel sighed. “What happened in your past? What haven’t you told me?” It went unsaid that he, Nico, knew about Hazel’s past because she trusted him. Yet he didn’t trust her enough to tell him anything.

Nico looked away. “I told you about Bianca. I want to tell you the rest, Hazel, but I can’t. There are certain forces at work. If I interfere… it would be bad.”

“Certain forces. Like Jason’s disappearance?”

Nico didn’t answer, but he thought his silence more or less confirmed Hazel’s thinking.

.

The next day, Percy Jackson showed up carrying a goddess.

“O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood,” Nico said as he tossed a gold drachma into the rainbow he made from the mist spray.

The connection was awful as expected. Iris was a Greek goddess and Nico was calling from a Roman camp. But he could make out Annabeth sitting in the Poseidon cabin alone.

“Annabeth!”

The blonde haired daughter of Athena looked up. She smiled. “Nico! It’s good to see you. Will misses you,” she added slyly.

Nico scowled. “Well I called to say that I have some important news, but if that’s how you want to be, then I’ll just go now.”

“Okay, fine,” Annabeth sighed. “What is it?”

“Percy’s here,” Nico said.

Annabeth’s face lit up. “He is? You’re not joking right? He’s at Camp Jupiter?”

“Yeah,” Nico nodded. “I haven’t talked to him yet. I don’t know if he remembers me.”

“That’s okay,” Annabeth sighed happily. “Oh gods, Nico. Okay, the ship’s almost ready. We’ll be setting off on the 24th.”

“The Feast of Fortuna,” Nico said. “Great. I’ll see you then.”

“Maybe not,” Annabeth bit her lip. “Octavian will be upset if he finds out you’re Greek.”

“I’m coming with you,” Nico said firmly. “I don’t really care what Octavian thinks. Also, I gave the eidolons a thought. They’re basically ghosts or spirits. You should be able to keep yourselves protected if you wear something made of iron. As long as the iron has skin contact, the eidolons can’t possess anyone.”

Annabeth thanked Nico and promised to pass on the information. Then she cut the connection.

“Hey,” Hazel’s voice called. “I’ve brought a friend.”

Nico turned around. Unlike before, he didn’t panic upon seeing Percy.

“This is Percy Jackson,” Hazel said. “He’s a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the  son of Pluto.”

Nico held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he said. “I’m Nico di Angelo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously we don't know how exactly Nico found out about Camp Jupiter, just that Hades told him before he got Hazel. As for the whole thing about the "oath to keep with a final breath," neither Percy nor Annabeth nor Nico really know what that refers to.  
> I know these last few chapters kinda jumped around a bit. Just trying to get some different perspectives in with Jason, Leo, and Nico.


	6. The Greek Boys (Percy VI)

When he got his memory back, he got his  _ memory _ back. This time though, he was doubly mad at Hera or Juno or whatever she was going by these days.

Nico was the first to greet him after they fought off the giants. “Hi, Percy.”

“Nico,” Percy sighed. “Didn’t expect you here.”

Nico shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, well. I am. I’m going with you guys. I don’t really care if the prophecy says otherwise.”

“ _ Wisdom’s daughter walks alone / The Mark of Athena burns through Rome / Twins snuff out the angels breath / Who holds the key to endless death / The giants’ bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail _ ,” Percy quoted. He looked at Nico disapprovingly. “I’m not asking you to go through all that crap again because it was so crappy. Just… what if by going with us, that’s how you get caught?”

“Whatever happens is going to happen,” Nico shrugged. “But the Doors of Death… Tartarus… you aren’t going to go through that again either. Let me help.”

Percy sighed. “Fine. Whatever.”

Nico poked his new purple praetor cloak. “Nice cloak, Praetor Jackson.”

“I’m resigning tomorrow when Jason get here,” Percy scowled. “I still feel like I took it away from him.” He shuffled his feet. “Anyway, we have to address the Legion tomorrow before, you know, a giant warship appears.”

Nico’s expression was unreadable. “Right.”

.

The senate met the next day. Percy and Reyna had their praetor outfits. Nico did not wear his black toga which Percy had to admit looked utterly ridiculous. Instead, the son of Hades came dressed in his black jeans and aviator jacket.

“Ambassador of Pluto-” Octavian started.

Nico glared. “Shut up, Octavian. I don’t want to wear the stupid toga.”

Percy cleared his throat. “Uh, so I’m not really sure how these things go, but in like an hour some demigods are going to arrive on this giant warship. Four demigods to be precise.”

“Four of the seven,” Hazel added, looking excited. “From the Prophecy of Seven.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow. “Do you know who they are?”

Percy hesitated. “Jason Grace for one.”

This sent the senate into an uproar. Senators and Lares were shouting about how Jason was missing for nearly a year and why was he only coming back now.

“Silence!” Hylla shouted. She nodded at her sister.

Reyna took a deep breath. “Thank you, Hylla. Jason is part of the Seven then? I assume you yourself are too, Percy. Do you know who else?”

“Jason and I, yeah,” Percy confirmed. “Plus Frank and Hazel. The message I got was from someone named Leo, so I assume he’s going. Other than that, I’m not sure.”

Nico raised a hand. “I know.”

Octavian looked especially deranged, Percy noted. His nostrils flared and his face was an ugly purple.

“How do you just happen to know?” he demanded. “Did your father tell you this as well?”

Nico blinked. “No. If you’d just listen, it would make much more sense. There’s another Camp for demigods. It’s different than Camp Jupiter though. The other camp is called Camp Half-Blood, and it’s a Greek camp.”

“That’s where Jason is,” Percy said quickly. “That’s where I came from. Hera, Juno to you all, decided to do an exchange student thing. She switched Jason and I so we could bring the two camps together. The war with Gaea is going to take us working together to win.”

Reyna frowned, digesting this. “So in a matter of minutes, a warship built by Jason and these Greeks will arrive to take you along with Centurion Zhang and Hazel Levesque to fulfill the Prophecy of Seven?”

“Exactly,” Percy nodded gratefully. “So, yeah. I’m actually a Greek demigod. Son of Poseidon, not Neptune.” He looked at Nico. “Can you explain who else is going?”

Nico nodded. “The other three are Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, and Annabeth Chase. Children of Hephestus, Aphrodite, and Athena respectively.”

“Annabeth,” Percy mumbled with a goofy smile. “I miss her.”

“I bet you do, Kelp Head,” Nico snorted. “I know she missed you.”

Frank looked hesitant. “Uh, Nico? How do you know all this?”

“Oh, well, I went to Camp Half-Blood first,” Nico said, looking surprised. “My father is Hades. I  _ am  _ Greek, but he sent me here so I would know about the Roman camp in case something happened.”

“Why should we trust these Greeks?” Octavian asked. He looked at Nico suspiciously. “Our own Ambassador to Pluto admits he deceived us. How can we trust that this isn’t part of the Greek’s plan to destroy us?”

The senate shifted restlessly, but most of them were too afraid to interrupt Octavian while he was on a roll. Meanwhile the sun climbed into the sky, shining through the broken senate roof and giving Octavian a natural spotlight.

“The camp is safe,” Octavian continued. “I’ll be the first to congratulate our heroes for bringing back the legion’s eagle and so much Imperial gold! Truly we have been blessed with good fortune. But why do more? Why tempt fate?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Percy stood, taking the question as an opening.

Octavian stammered, “I wasn’t—”

“—part of the quest,” Percy said. “Yes, I know. And you’re wise to let me explain, since I was.”

Some of the senators snickered. Octavian had no choice but to sit down and try not to look embarrassed.

“Gaea is waking,” Percy said. “We’ve defeated two of her giants, but that’s only the beginning. The real war will take place in the old land of the gods. The quest will take us to Rome, and eventually to Greece.”

An uneasy ripple spread through the senate.

“I know, I know,” Percy said. “You’ve always thought of the Greeks as your enemies. And there’s a good reason for that. I think the gods have kept our two camps apart because whenever we meet, we fight. But that can change. It has to change if we’re to defeat Gaea. That’s what the Prophecy of Seven means. Seven demigods, Greek and Roman, will have to close the Doors of Death together.” Percy swallowed back the bitter taste in his mouth.  _ Bob and Damasen _ .

“Ha!” shouted a Lar from the back row. “The last time a praetor tried to interpret the Prophecy of Seven, it was Michael Varus, who lost our eagle in Alaska! Why should we believe you now?”

Octavian smiled smugly. Some of his allies in the senate began nodding and grumbling. Even some of the veterans looked uncertain.

“I carried Juno across the Tiber,” Percy reminded them, speaking as firmly as he could. “She told me that the Prophecy of Seven is coming to pass. Mars also appeared to you in person. Do you think two of your most important gods would appear at camp if the situation wasn’t serious?”

“He’s right,” Gwen said from the second row. “I, for one, trust Percy’s word. Greek or not, he restored the honor of the legion. You saw him on the battlefield last night. Would anyone here say he is not a true hero of Rome?”

Nobody argued. A few nodded in agreement.

Reyna stood. Percy watched her anxiously. Her opinion could change everything—for better or worse.

“You claim this is a combined quest,” she said. “You claim Juno intends for us to work with this—this other group, Camp Half-Blood. Yet the Greeks have been our enemies for eons.  They are known for their deceptions.”

“Maybe so,” Percy said. “But enemies can become friends. A week ago, would you have thought Romans and Amazons would be fighting side by side?”

Queen Hylla laughed. “He’s got a point.”

“The demigods of Camp Half-Blood have already been working with Camp Jupiter,” Percy said. “We just didn’t realize it. During the Titan War last summer, while you were attacking Mount Othrys, we were defending Mount Olympus in Manhattan. I fought Kronos myself.”

Reyna backed up, almost tripping over her toga. “You… what?”

“I know it’s hard to believe,” Nico said. “But everything we’re saying is true.”

“Oh, come on!” Octavian shouted. “They’re making things up, now.  _ You _ fought Saturn?” he scoffed.

“ _ A half-blood of the eldest gods / Shall reach sixteen against all odds _ ,” Nico recited. “ _ And see the world in endless sleep / A hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap / A single choice shall end his days / Olympus to preserve or raze _ .”

“Raze with a z,” Percy added. “That was the last Great Prophecy. The half-blood was me, and the hero was… the hero was Luke. Look, we can argue all day about this, or you can trust Nico and me when we say these people are no threat. Are you really willing to fight  _ Jason Grace _ ? He’s going to be on that ship.”

Reyna frowned. “It is a lot to believe. Jason is coming back with a bunch of Greek demigods? You say they’re going to appear in the sky in a heavily armed warship, but we shouldn’t be worried.”

“Yes.” Percy looked over the rows of nervous, doubtful spectators. “Just let them land. Hear them out. Jason will backup everything I’m telling you. I swear it on my life.”

“On your life?” Octavian looked meaningfully at the senate. “We will remember that, if this turns out to be a trick.”

Right on cue, a messenger rushed into the Senate House, gasping as if he’d run all the way from camp. “Praetors! I’m sorry to interrupt, but our scouts report—”

“Ship!” Tyson said happily, pointing at the hole in the ceiling. “Yay!

Sure enough, a Greek warship, the Argo II, appeared out of the clouds, about a half a mile away, descending toward the Senate House. As it got closer, Percy could see bronze shields glinting along the sides, billowing sails, and a familiar-looking figurehead shaped like a metal dragon. On the tallest mast, a big white flag of truce snapped in the wind. To his surprise, a giant smiley face was painted on the bottom with the word “WASSUP” next to it. He held back a smile. Must have been Leo’s idea.

“Praetors!” the messenger cried. “What are your orders?”

Octavian shot to his feet. “You need to ask?” His face was red with rage. He was strangling his teddy bear. “The omens are horrible! This is a trick, a deception. Beware Greeks bearing gifts!” He jabbed a finger at Percy. “His friends are attacking in a warship. He has led them here. We must attack!”

“No,” Percy said firmly. “You all raised me as praetor for a reason. I will fight to defend this camp with my life. But these aren’t enemies. I say we stand ready, but do not attack. Let them land. Let them speak. If it is a trick, then I will fight with you, as I did last night. But it is not a trick.”

All eyes turned toward Reyna.

She studied the approaching warship. Her expression hardened. If she vetoed Percy’s orders…well, he didn’t know what would happen. Chaos and confusion, at the very least. Most likely, the Romans would follow her lead. She’d been their leader much longer than Percy.

“Hold your fire,” Reyna said. “But have the legion stand ready. Percy Jackson is your duly chosen praetor. We will trust his word—unless we are given clear reason not to. Senators, let us adjourn to the forum and meet our…new friends.”

The senators stampeded out of the auditorium—whether from excitement or panic, Percy wasn’t sure. Tyson ran after them, yelling, “Yay! Yay!” with Ella fluttering around his head.

Octavian gave Percy a disgusted look, then threw down his teddy bear and followed the crowd.

Reyna stood at Percy’s shoulder.

“I support you, Percy,” she said. “I trust your judgment. But for all our sakes, I hope we can keep the peace between our campers and your Greek friends.”

“We will,” he promised. “You’ll see.”

She glanced up at the warship. Her expression turned a little wistful. “You say Jason is aboard… I hope that’s true. I’ve missed him.” She marched outside, leaving Percy alone with Nico, Hazel, and Frank.

“They’re coming down right in the forum,” Frank said nervously. “Terminus is going to have a heart attack.”

“Percy,” Hazel said, “you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, Octavian is going to kill you. You know that, right?”

Percy smiled. Unlike before, it wasn’t really a risk. He knew Jason would back everything up. If he was being honest, he quite missed the blonde haired son of Jupiter. Which reminded him of another blonde. Annabeth was on that ship. Finally, he would see her again.

“Alright, Kelp Head,” Nico grumbled. “I know who you’re thinking about. You’ll see her soon, Lover Boy.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Uh huh. How’s Will, Nico?”

“I hate you,” Nico muttered darkly.

Percy laughed and threw his arms around Hazel and Frank. “Come on. Let me introduce you to my other family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little choppy, but since Nico obviously never went to look for the Doors of Death this time, he'll still be at Camp Jupiter. Seeing as he's part of the time traveling trio, he wants to go with the Seven to stop Gaea and prevent the war from becoming how bad it became.


	7. The Son of Hades (Annabeth VII)

She let Leo paint his smiley face and “WASSUP” message on the bottom of the boat. Something she kind of regretted now that she was on the ground staring up at the large boat hovering over New Rome.

“Annabeth!”

Annabeth’s heart jumped. She glanced around wildly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered Reyna’s presence, but all her focus was on finding Percy.

And there he was, wearing a purple cloak of a praetor. Of course he was. She surged forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“I missed you, Seaweed Brain,” she whispered.

Percy hugged her just as tight. “Missed you too, Wise Girl.”

“Uh, hi,” Jason greeted Reyna and Percy awkwardly. “So, yeah… it’s good to be back.” He gestured to his friends. “This is Piper, daughter of Aphrodite,” he said pointing to Piper. “This is Leo, son of Hephestus,” he said pointing to Leo. “He’s the one that pretty much built the ship and sent you that message. Uh, that’s Annabeth, daughter of Athena,” he pointed to Annabeth. “Guys, this is Reyna,” Jason said to Annabeth, Piper, and Leo. “She’s praetor.”

A dark shape on the corner of Annabeth’s vision. She whipped her head around to look.

“Nico?”

Nico looked like a deer in headlights. “Hi, Annabeth. Look, uh, if you wanna yell at me for, you know, not telling you guys about Percy, then I’ll tell you I couldn’t. I wasn’t allowed to tell the Camps about each other yet.”

“It seems we have a lot to discuss,” Reyna said. “Centurions!”

A few of the Roman campers hustled forward. Frank and Hazel appeared at Percy’s side.

“Oh, this is Frank and Hazel,” Percy said cheerfully. “They’re part of the Seven too of course.”

“Of course,” Annabeth heard Piper mutter. The daughter of Aphrodite looked uneasy. She was constantly fingering the iron necklace Annabeth had instructed them all to wear.

“You’re letting these intruders into the camp?” A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. Octavian. “Reyna, the security risks—”

“We’re not taking them to the camp, Octavian.” Reyna flashed him a stern look. “We’ll eat here, in the forum.”

“Oh, much better,” Octavian grumbled. “You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship.”

“These are our guests.” Reyna clipped off every word. “We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely.”

“Good idea,” Percy put in. “Go burn your bears, Octavian.”

Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. “You have my orders. Go.”

The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing. Then he gave Annabeth a suspicious once-over and stalked away.

Nico gave off a noise of disgust. “He’s the one downside to being back here,” he grumbled. “I hope he blows up.”

Hazel shot her brother a strange look. “Nico-”

“Don’t tell me to take it back,” Nico rolled his eyes. He glanced at Annabeth. “Any eidolons?”

Annabeth shook her head. “Nothing. I’m still worried something might go wrong, but the necklaces sure help.”

“Eidolons?” Reyna pressed.

“Spirits,” Nico answered. “Iron repels them. Annabeth was worried they might attempt something. It’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

.

“So anyway,” Percy was saying as they ate. “You guys kinda have three praetors now.”

Annabeth saw Jason glance down at his own purple cloak. He seemed to have forgotten about it.

“Yes, and the rules state we can only have two!” Octavian said irritably.

“On the plus side,” Nico started, “both Percy and Jason outrank you. So they can both tell you to shut up.”

Octavian gapped at the son of Hades while Percy and Jason shared a grin and a fist bump.

Percy waved a hand. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll step aside for Jason. No biggie.”

Jason seemed to get along with Percy as good as he had before. In no time, the two were chatting like old friends which, Annabeth supposed, was true for Percy at least. She swallowed back the grief at that thought.

.

_ “We need to start on the food,” Will Solace said with a glance at Jason. “If we’re going to take on Gaea and the Giants, we need to have enough ambrosia and nectar to heal the injured after. Not to mention, we need our strength.” _

_ Apollo nodded along with his son. “Will’s right. I can only do so much by way of healing. We can’t dip into the medical stock. Or the emergency stock. Like for whatever reason I… I can’t, you know, heal someone. We need ambrosia.” He didn’t say that one of those reasons might be his death. _

_ “Jason has a pretty good stock,” Nico said quietly. He had become much more drawn back in the month following the retreat to Olympus. “I’m better now. I can go with Jason and get a bunch more today.” _

_ Will looked like he wanted to argue. _

_ Athena nodded. “We’ll send you two out then.” _

_ “You should take others with you,” Percy crossed his arms. “Just in case. Jason, you  _ know _ they almost got you yesterday. And we’ve pretty much cleaned out all the CVS’s and 7/11’s near us.” _

_ Jason gave Percy a grin. “Exciting, right?” he sighed. “Come on, Percy! Nico and I will be fine.” He got up and kissed Piper. “See you when I get back. Any requests?” _

_ Piper smiled. “Tacos?” _

_ Jason’s face faltered. Leo’s death was a touchy subject, and tacos reminded the two of their dragon riding friend. He nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Tacos. Do my best.” _

_ Nico and Will were speaking lowly in the corner. Annabeth frowned, but said nothing. Nico finally got up and made his way over to where Jason was waiting. _

_ “Back in a minute,” Jason said before he lifted into the air with Nico who wrapped himself and Jason in shadows and disappeared. _

_ Annabeth started bouncing her foot after the first five minute passed. Percy was pacing the length of the temple. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades exchanged looks. _

_ “It shouldn’t take this long,” Hephestus muttered. “With two of them this should be much quicker.” _

_ A horn sounded in the distance. Reyna jolted. Her eyes were wide. _

_ “My hunters,” Artemis gasped. She looked at Thalia. “Some are on guard today, correct?” _

_ Thalia nodded. She leapt to her feet and gripped her bow tightly. “We’re under attack.” _

_. _

_ The entrance to Olympus was under siege. The first, second, and fourth cohorts had been closest and they were locked in a fierce battle. The hunters of Artemis had been on guard duty when the attack began. _

_ “Hunters with me!” Thalia shouted. She fired arrows at the giants and monsters invading Olympus. When she reached the hunters, she drew a sword and her shield sprung from her bracelet. _

_ “Romans, hold your formation,” Reyna commanded. She charged into the battle. _

_ Percy glanced at Annabeth worriedly. She gripped the hilt of the bone sword Damasen had given her. _

_ “As long as we’re together,” Annabeth said, kissing him. Together they jumped into the battle. _

_ They fought hard. Demigods and gods alike. War cries echoed across the crumbling Olympus that Annabeth had once worked so hard to design. _

_ A rumbling caused both sides to pause. At the front, between the two warring sides, the shadows darkened. With a roar, Nico sprung out of the shadows. His Stygian Ice sword struck the ground, and an army of undead began attacking the giants and monsters with vigor. _

_ The monsters disintegrated quickly. When they recovered from the shock of the sight, gods and goddesses quickly charged at the giants and delivered fatal blows alongside their children. _

_ At last, a break. Annabeth paused to breath and take in their losses. Minimal casualties on their side. She saw Apollo, Will, and the rest of the Apollo cabin moving the few dead back deeper into Olympus. _

_ Nico still radiated power and darkness. The shadows whipped around him. _

_ “Son,” Hades tried to get Nico’s attention. _

_ Nico turned to face them. His face seemed to age as Annabeth looked at him. He looked exhausted as he let the shadows go. Someone tumbled out of the shadows. Annabeth peered closer, but she couldn’t make out who it was. _

_ Piper’s horrified scream and the thunder that rocked Olympus was all the confirmation Annabeth needed. _

_ The next two weeks, Annabeth fought with the images of Leo Valdez and Jason Grace burned into her mind. Gaea would not take another friend from her. _

.

“No ships!” The squawky voice cut through Annabeth’s thoughts. Ella the harpy must have arrived then.

Annabeth’s blood chilled as she recalled what was said next.

“Bad luck. There she is,” Ella said, looking at Annabeth. “ _ Wisdom’s daughter walks alone _ -”

“Ella!” Frank said sharply. “Maybe it’s not the best time-”

“ _ The Mark of Athena burns through Rome _ ,” Ella continued. “ _ Twins snuff out the angel’s light / Who holds the key to saviors plight / Giant’s bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail _ .”

Annabeth looked at a very pale Nico. They couldn’t be sure the prophecy would still actually mean something, but at least until it was said, they could pretend it didn’t exist. Yet… the prophecy had changed. What it meant was a mystery to Annabeth.

“Really, Octavian?” Annabeth heard Nico say with a slight waver in his voice. “Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Greek ones have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?”

Hazel cleared her throat. “Percy’s right. Tyson should take Ella and… Mrs. O’Leary and shadow travel somewhere for a while.”

“Great!” Percy said with a big fake smile on his face. “We’ll IM you when we’re done and catch up with you later.”

The Romans looked at Reyna, waiting for her ruling. Annabeth held her breath. Reyna had an excellent poker face. She studied Ella, but Annabeth couldn’t guess what she was thinking.

“Fine,” the praetor said at last. “Go.”

“Yay!” Tyson went around the couches and gave everyone a big hug—even Octavian, who didn’t look happy about it. Then he climbed on Mrs. O’Leary’s back with Ella, and the hellhound  bounded out of the forum. They dove straight into a shadow on the Senate House wall and disappeared.

“Well.” Reyna set down her uneaten apple. “Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate’s approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest—especially one as dangerous as you’re suggesting.”

“This whole thing smells of treachery,” Octavian grumbled. “That trireme is not a ship of peace!”

“Come aboard, man,” Leo offered. “I’ll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you’re really good I’ll give you a little paper captain’s hat to wear.”

Octavian’s nostrils flared. “How dare you—”

“It’s a good idea,” Reyna said. “Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We’ll convene a senate meeting in one hour.”

“But…” Octavian stopped. “Fine.”

Leo got up. “Back soon,” he promised. “This is gonna be epic.”

Something glinted on the ground. Annabeth turned her head to look.

“No!” Nico shouted.

Leo sighed and looked at Nico. “What? I can handle Octavian.”

Nico leant down and picked something up from the ground. He held it out to Leo. “You dropped this,” Nico said in a chillingly calm voice.

Annabeth reached for her dagger. Nico was holding Leo’s iron necklace. Her hand closed around nothing. Because all their weapons were on the Argo II, and none of the Roman’s had a weapon either.

“We’ve got a dam problem,” Percy muttered. He watched Leo warily.

Annabeth swallowed. “Oh gods. The eidolons are here.”

Leo let out a hollow laugh. “Daughter of Athena. You thought you could outsmart us with iron?”

“Get out of my friend,” Annabeth hissed. “NOW!”

Leo’s hand caught fire.

“Holy Hercules!” someone shouted.

“LEAVE!”

Annabeth probably wouldn’t have believed such a loud and forceful command could ever be uttered by the son of Hades if she hadn’t seen him in action during the Giants War.

Nico stalked up to Leo, glaring. “Leave now, and never, ever come back to inhabit any body of a demigod, Roman or Greek.”

“You do not command us,” Leo said. The rest of his body started catching fire.

“I do command you,” Nico said with a smirk. “I am the son of Hades, ruler of the Underworld, the dead, and riches. I am the Ghost King. And I order you to leave and pass on the message to the rest of your friends that the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo, will find them and destroy them if I so much as hear a  _ whisper _ of you possessing anyone.” Nico waited for the eidolon’s response.

Leo’s fire suddenly went out and he pitched forward. Jason and Percy rushed to catch him. At the same time, Nico collapsed to the ground.

Annabeth found herself admiring the enigma that was Nico di Angelo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to let Leo paint WASSUP on the bottom of the Argo II. I thought that would have been a funny sight if Annabeth had let him do it in the books.  
> Anyway, gotta love The Titan's Curse and all the dam things that go with it. Like snack bars, french fries, restrooms, water fountain, and t-shirts.  
> Also, if you're wondering why the gods don't just snap their fingers and poof some food up, well, I'll tell you that they can't do that because that breaks Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration which says that food cannot be created out of nothing. Not to mention that the gods are significantly weaker since pretty much everyone who believes in them is stuck on Olympus with them while the rest of the world is swallowed by Gaea.


	8. Prophecy (Nico VIII)

Nico opened his eyes.

“Rise and shine,” a cheerful voice greeted him. “Nice to see you awake, Sunshine.”

He groaned. “I’m at Camp Half-Blood. Will, where’s Percy and Annabeth?”

Will Solace’s face swam into Nico’s view. He was grinning. “About that. When were you planning on telling me you’d become the Ambassador to Pluto for the Roman camp?” Will asked. “And that Percy was alive and well at said Roman camp.”

“Apparently now,” Nico snapped. He sat up and moved to get out of the bed. Will pushed him back down. “Let me out,” Nico grumbled.

“Doctor’s orders,” Will shrugged. “You tired yourself out getting rid of eidolons four days ago from what Annabeth said.”

Nico glared. “Will. I have to go. It’s a matter of life and death.”

“Is it? Because if you don’t rest for at least another day, it will be a matter of life and death. I know how to hurt people and make it look like an accident.”

Nico stared at Will in surprise. “Did you just threaten to kill me?”

“No, I threatened to stab you so you physically cannot leave,” Will corrected.

The blonde son of Apollo making threats like this made Nico incredibly flustered. His face was definitely a light shade of pink, and he sputtered.

“I’m… I’m serious,” Nico tried to regain control of his emotions. “I have to help them. There’s a prophecy-”

“Annabeth told me,” Will nodded. “ _ Twins snuff out the angel’s light / Who holds the key to saviors plight _ . She also said to do whatever it took to keep you here.”

“Will, please,” Nico begged. “Keep me in the infirmary as long as you like at any time,  _ but _ this time. I need to speak to Annabeth and Percy at least.”

Will looked shocked, but then his face fell and he gave Nico a sad look. “They left. Yesterday. Annabeth got me, Jason was carrying you. Then they got back on the Argo II and set sail for Rome.”

“I need to IM them,” Nico said through gritted teeth. “Now, please.”

Will didn’t question Nico which was a pleasant surprise. He quickly supplied a rainbow and left the room.

“O Iris, goddess of the rainbow,” Nico prayed. “Show me Percy Jackson on the Argo II.

The rainbow shimmered and suddenly Percy’s face was on display.

“Nico!” Percy said cheerfully. “Glad to see you awake.”

Nico glared at him. “Percy Jackson, I will kill you. I  _ said _ I was going to help you with this, but no. You dropped me off with  _ WILL SOLACE? _ ” He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter right now. I figured out what Ella’s prophecy was talking about.”

“You did?” Hazel’s voice cut in.

“Is everyone there?” Nico asked sarcastically.

Annabeth came into view. She crossed her arms. “Yeah. Team meeting actually. What is it?”

“Will,” Nico blurted. “It’s Will.  _ Twins snuff out the angel’s light _ . I didn’t realize it until he said the lines you told him. If I’m the angel, then Will’s the light.”

Percy and Annabeth had pale faces.

“We can’t turn around,” Percy said, but he looked back at something or someone, hopefully. “How far are we?”

“Just over halfway,” someone answered. Nico thought it might be Leo.

Percy looked guilty. “Look, Nico, I wanted to bring you, but I agreed with Annabeth that it was about you. I never even considered… gods, I’m an idiot.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Percy, tell him about the dream,” Piper’s voice called out.

“Right,” Percy sighed. “Nico, we were like almost to Camp Half-Blood. Originally I wanted to get Will to look at you and then once you woke up you could come with us, but I had this dream. You were in a bronze jar and there was like two pomegranate seeds.”

“Hazel said it’s called a death trance,” Jason said.

Nico swallowed. “Yeah, that’s right. But… Percy, are you sure? I was so sure  _ the angel’s light _ meant Will. But, uh, I don’t really know the key to the saviors plight. What exactly is this plight?”

Percy and Annabeth shared a guilty look.

“If you two think you can leave me here and then go and get yourselves killed, then you’ve got another thing coming!” Nico shouted at them. “I’ll shadow travel to you. Give me a second.”

“Not happening,” Hazel’s voice said firmly. “Will told Jason and Annabeth that you wouldn’t be able to do that for a few more days.”

“Of course he did,” Nico muttered darkly. “Then I’ll just have to fly a pegasus now won’t I?”

“They don’t like you,” Percy pointed out. “Probably because, you know, water isn’t your type.”

Nico glowered. “Percy. I will find a way onto the Argo II and I will stop you from doing something idiotic. I’m sure if I pray hard enough to your dad he’ll help me reach you in record time.” He jumped when a loud crash came from outside. Camper’s shouts reached his ears.

“What was that?” Annabeth asked worriedly.

Nico kicked back the bedsheets and grabbed his sword from a nearby chair. “Don’t know. I’m going to see what’s up. Call you later.” He waved a hand through the message.

.

Outside, the campers were rushing around. They had armor thrown on half-hazardly and some weren’t even wearing armor.

“Oh gods.” Nico’s jaw dropped open when he saw two faces he hoped to never see again.

Ephialtes and Otis. The bane of Dionysus. Or Bacchus. The twins that trapped him in a bronze jar for days. He still had nightmares about it. Waking up and realizing there were no more pomegranate seeds. Suffocating and choking as he struggled to breath…

Nico shook himself from his thoughts. He spotted the Apollo cabin lining up with their bows. Will was with them. And the two giants were headed straight for him.

“NO!” Nico shouted, charging towards them.

Ephialtes chuckled. “Son of Hades. Our mother said you’d be here.”

Nico’s blood ran cold. Gaea wanted them to kidnap him.  _ Crap, crap, crap _ . He faltered in his charge.

“You cannot hope to defeat us,” Otis continued.

_ Twins snuff out the angel’s light _

_ Who holds the key to saviors plight. _

Saviors plight? Savior’s plight? Saviors’ plight? Saviors’ plight. What had been the biggest problem? Percy and Annabeth’s little upcoming trip. Nico was stupid for not having realized it before. Then again, Annabeth hadn’t figured it out and she was the daughter of Athena. Still, it seemed glaringly obvious once Nico realized what it meant.

Nico did probably the stupidest thing he could have done in a battle. He stopped his charge and extended a hand in Will’s direction. The shadows wrapped around the confused son of Apollo.

“Tell them I’m sorry and it’s the fall,” Nico shouted as Will disappeared.

Ephialtes grinned as Nico stumbled and fell right at his feet. The last thing Nico saw before blacking out was a giant hand reaching for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, if you think I'm going to write Solangelo and NOT throw in a "not your type" joke, you are sorely mistaken. Lately, my life has revolved around Jason and Percy as Solangelo's number one fans, Solangelo, and "not your type" jokes.  
> Second, if you recall, Nico is from the future, hence he is more powerful, hence he deems himself okay to shadow travel Will far away. Obviously, he was slightly wrong since he fainted.  
> Third, I didn't go into detail about the past four days because all you need to know is that everything stayed the same, just the Romans didn't attack because they were able to prevent Leo the Eidolon from firing on New Rome. In general, that's what I'll be doing if something is the same. Glaze over it, have the characters think about it in one or two paragraphs then move on with the story.


	9. Here Comes the Sun (Will IX)

Surprisingly, the fact that he was now in a completely different setting was not overly alarming for Will Solace. As far as demigods went, nothing much could really surprise him anymore.

But what  _ did _ surprise him was the seven demigods staring at him.

“Will?” Percy Jackson finally managed to ask.

Annabeth Chase’s eyes narrowed into slits. Will shrunk back. He’d never say it out loud, but the daughter of Athena scared him. So did her boyfriend. Both of which were right in front of him along with Jason Grace (he was as scary as Percy), Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, and two other demigods he didn’t recognize.

“Wait,” the girl he didn’t recognize asked. “Will? As in Will Solace? They guy Nico was talking about earlier?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth said through gritted teeth. “The guy who was supposed to watch Nico, not get himself shadow traveled to the Argo II by Nico.”

“He said to tell you sorry,” Will blurted. He cringed, remembering exactly what had landed him here. “Uh… we got attacked.”

Piper was alert now. She glanced at Percy, then back to Will. “What happened? Who attacked?”

“Two giants,” Will said with a frown. “I don’t know which ones. They definitely knew Nico. They singled him out as the son of Hades.”

Percy growled. He flopped back into his chair. “Gods, I thought he was safe at Camp.”

“Nico mentioned a fall,” Will added. “Before he shadow traveled me away, he said ‘Tell them I’m sorry and it’s the fall.’ Do you know what he means?”

Annabeth’s face went from glaring daggers at him to pale as a ghost in top speed.

“What fall?” the guy Will didn’t recognize asked.

Percy sighed. “Will, you might want to sit down. Frank… I guess Annabeth and I have to explain some things.” He wrung his hands nervously. “Okay, uh, Will. That’s Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque. From Camp Jupiter.” He was silent.

“What’s going on?” Jason asked flatly.

Annabeth took Percy’s hand. “We haven’t been truthful with you guys. Percy and I… we know exactly what’s going to happen on this quest. Um, the day we got back to Camp, the day Kronos was defeated, three of us kind of… time traveled.”

“Time traveled?” Leo repeated. “You’re saying you time traveled? Wait. Three of you?” He pointed to Percy, Annabeth, and Will.

Percy shook his head. “Annabeth and I, yeah, but it wasn’t Will. It was Nico.”

Nico time traveled. That surprised Will. In the world of Greek Myths, hardly anything could be considered impossible anymore. Time travel was one of those things Will always thought of as science-fiction. It just wasn’t possible Greek gods or no Greek gods. But now…

Now that he thought about it, it made sense. Nico di Angelo was quiet and reserved. He didn’t talk to anyone. He had become so different than the young boy who blabbered about Mythomagic upon his arrival to Camp. During the Titan War, Nico was cold and isolated. He did not get excited over games anymore. Then, suddenly, the son of Hades was speaking to Will and helping out in the infirmary. He would smile and laugh when he was with Will to the rest of the Camp’s utter shock.

And Will had wondered why the all powerful son of one of the Big Three chose  _ him _ as a friend. Whenever he asked Nico, he shrugged and said that Will was super nice to him and didn’t care that his father was the King of the Underworld. But if Nico was from the future, and in that future was friends with Will, naturally Nico would seek out Will’s friendship early on.

Percy’s goodbyes suddenly made much more sense too. When he had left at the end of summer, he made it seem like he wouldn’t be seeing any of them for a long time. But if he knew he was going to be part of Hera’s exchange program, it made sense for him to say his goodbyes that way.

And the nightmares. Gods, the nightmares Percy and Annabeth had. What had they gone through in the future that was so terrible that they couldn’t sleep without the other in their arms?

“So what happens now?” Frank asked quietly. “You two know what to do and where to go, right?”

“I have to follow the Mark of Athena,” Annabeth explained shakily. “By… by myself. The rest of you have to rescue Nico. Those giants took him last time too. He was there much longer the first time though. Then, Percy will know where to go so you can get the Athena Parthenos.”

Percy squeezed her hand. “Our voyage is much harder,” he said tightly. “The last line of the prophecy, the Great Prophecy, the whole  _ Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death _ thing? The mortal side is in Espirus in the House of Hades. The other side is somewhere else. Annabeth and I did it last time. We can do it this time. We… we know what to expect and… and it’ll be fine.”

“Where are they?” Will asked flatly. “And what did Nico mean? Possibly his last… last words,” Will hated how his voice cracked. “I want to know what they meant.”

Percy ran his hands through his hair. Annabeth blew a piece of hair out of her face.

“ _ Twins snuff out the angel’s light / Who holds the key to saviors’ plight, _ ” Annabeth recited. “Nico figured it out.  _ The angel’s light _ , he thought that was you, Will, although it could mean Nico’s life.  _ The saviors’ plight _ is what he probably figured out when he sent you here. When he said ‘it’s about the fall,’ he meant this plight. I should have realized this sooner. Plight has two meanings. One, a dangerous, difficult, or unfortunate situation. Two, to pledge or promise solemnly.”

“Annabeth and I fell last time,” Percy explained. “We  _ did _ pledge or promise solemnly.” He looked at his girlfriend. “We’re staying together. You’re not getting away from me. Never again.”

“As long as we’re together,” Annabeth finished. She took a deep breath. “The fall was to Tartarus. That’s the other side of the Doors.”

Piper gasped. “Tartarus?”

The room in the Argo II grew cold. Will shivered. From what he read in the myths about Greek Mythology, Tartarus was not a pleasant place. He had asked Nico about it once, but the son of Hades had tensed up and ignored him. Eventually, he stopped asking.

“Nico’s been there. Hasn’t he?” Will asked.

“That’s where he was captured the first time,” Percy confirmed. He bit his lip. “So, according to the prophecy, either you or Nico know how to solve this problem. Any ideas?”

Will frowned. “Not presently. How did you close the Doors anyway?”

“Bob and Damasen,” Annabeth answered. “Bob, sorry, Iapetus the Titan, and Damasen the Giant helped us. Percy and I cut the chains and Bob held the button for twelve minutes to send us through the Doors. Damasen fought the monsters off.” She swallowed. “We… we were hoping to save Bob and Damasen this time.”

“Hold on,” Jason said, holding up a hand. “You’re telling me that you two are actually  _ volunteering  _ to go  _ back  _ to Tartarus? Why wouldn’t you just… I mean, one of us could do it!”

“No,” Will said shaking his head. “No one else could.” He studied the two time travelers before him. “The nightmares. This is why you have them. No way are either of you going to wish that on anyone. You’re both too noble. Your knowledge. You already did it once, so the second time should be easy, right? You said it yourself, you know what to expect.”

“Bob’s my friend,” Percy said helpfully. “I erased his memories in the Lethe and told him I was his friend. Nico took me to visit him a lot before I went missing. Well, this time anyway. Last time, I never visited. I was a bad friend.” He fell silent.

“Okay, enough of this,” Leo said, crossing his arms. “I want to know how heroic we all are in the future. Like, who do we marry and stuff.  _ Do  _ any of us get married? Which camp do we live at? What’s the gossip?”

Percy and Annabeth shared a look.

“Better questions,” Will heard himself ask. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Who died? Why did you come back? How bad did we lose?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't keep the secret any longer! So now they all know.  
> Bringing Will aboard the Argo II was not planned. I was going to have Nico do some ninja escaping moves and get captured by the giants, but then I was like 'nah! just have him sacrifice his life and send Will to the seven' so yeah. We went that route.  
> Although I was hoping to keep the time travel thing a secret from the rest of the crew for a while longer, I think this will actually work out.  
> And don't ya know, writing this is having me copy and paste the chapters from PDFs and then I'm writing the new stuff and deleting the book stuff and I'm learning/remembering things. It's been a while since I read HOO. I'm thinking about going back and rereading PJO and HOO and TOA because I don't remember a lot.  
> Also, hit me over the head with a nice Gibbs Slap because I totally thought Nico was Spanish even though I KNOW he lived in Italy before he did his lil time skip in the Casino. I'm so disappointed in myself. Like, how did I mess that up?  
> Anyway, of course Will has to ask the hard question, but that means you guys get a little more insight into what happened in the future!


	10. Final Breath (Piper X)

Leo asked some great questions. Piper found herself fantasizing about her own future. They were demigods, but if things worked out between the two camps, would they be able to live in New Rome? The apple pie life of a white picket fence and 2.5 kids was a whimsical dream for the Greek demigods, but in New Rome, that dream could be made a reality.

Then Will asked the questions no one wanted to know the answers to, but at the same time wanted them desperately. Piper felt her hope sink as she waited to know the names of the dead and the reason the time travel had occurred.

“We didn’t try to time travel,” Annabeth said, avoiding the topic of death.

Piper felt her stomach clench. So some of the Seven were dead then. She could see it in the faces of Percy and Annabeth. They couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

“We don’t know how or why it happened, just that we’re going to make things better,” Annabeth finished.

“Please, Annabeth,” Piper pleaded. “We have to know. How bad was it?”

“Bad,” Percy said with a grimace. “We… we got back to Camp Half-Blood in time. Reyna and Nico arrived with the Athena Parthenos in time to stop the Romans from attacking, but when we were in Greece… the blood of Olympus was spilled. Gaea woke up and the gods slingshot us to Camp to fight her. Leo, Jason, and Piper had a plan, but… I don’t know, I guess it failed or something.”

“The tide just turned to hard against us all of a sudden,” Annabeth continued. “Then the gods were there and they started taking as many demigods as they could to Olympus. It’s out of Gaea’s reach. We… we waited there for a month before the giants came to attack us. For every giant we killed, Gaea would just create another. It was two weeks of constant fighting before the giants retreated. We won eventually, but not for another three months. The cost… the cost was high.”

Hazel stared at the ground. “Who died?”

“At least half the demigods died because the gods couldn’t get us out quick enough,” Percy answered. “Pretty much all the mortal world, so those of us with parents… they all…” he trailed off, upset. “Uh, anyway, after that. I guess the next loss would be…” he couldn't say it.

Piper bit her lip.  _ It’s one of us, _ she thought.  _ Hazel or Frank or even Will. People Percy knows. Oh gods, how can he stand to see them alive? _

“Jason,” Annabeth blurted. She had tears in her eyes. “Nico and Jason went to get food. That was the day the giants attacked Olympus. Nico never said what happened. He won’t talk about it.”

Piper’s heart stopped.  _ Jason _ .

For his part, Jason seemed relatively accepting of his impending doom. He squeezed Piper’s hand as soon as Annabeth said his name.

“Jason… Jason’s dead?” Piper whispered. She clutched her boyfriend’s hand like a lifeline. “Is it because of the prophecy?  _ An oath to keep with a final breath _ ?”

“We never really figured that out,” Percy answered quietly. “I mean, Leo… like the day Gaea turned the tides there was a huge explosion involving Leo and Festus. We thought he was dead. Nico and Hazel swore they  _ felt _ his death, but three weeks after the giants attacked Olympus, Leo appeared. He said he  _ did _ die, but the physician's cure brought him back. He came back with Calypso.”

“Calypso as in the titan Odysseus runs into?” Piper asked in confusion.

Percy nodded. “He swore on the Styx he’d go back and get her. No one’s ever been to Ogygia, her island, more than once. Anyway, we thought that might be it, but Jason also promised Piper stuff before he left. And Nico promised stuff too. We all promised stuff. It could be anything really.” He coughed. “Uh, we lost like another half in that battle. Which sucked.” His face brightened. “On the plus side, Octavian didn’t survive.”

Piper tried not to smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jason suppressing a grin and his shoulders were shaking.

“Good riddance,” Frank grumbled. “I hate Octavian.”

“But would you wish death on him?” Hazel asked hesitantly. Her golden eyes turned towards Percy and Annabeth. “Please continue. I… I can sense there’s more you haven’t told us.”

“When we took the fight to Gaea,” Annabeth started, “we… we knew a lot of people were going to die, but I guess I never anticipated gods dying, you know? The biggest blow was Hecate. Clytius was meant to oppose her and he hadn’t been defeated yet. She would have used her torches to aid Hazel, but…” Annabeth’s face clouded over. “Frank, you helped Hazel.”

“How?” Frank asked in confusion. “I thought you needed a god and a demigod.”

“Juno,” Annabeth said quietly. “She… she’s the one that helped you. It’s through her that your wood piece can be ignited by a single thought.”

_ Wood piece _ ? Piper wondered, but a look at Frank’s pale white face told her it was bad.

“I’m sorry, Frank,” Annabeth said miserably.

Piper swallowed. “Jason and Frank. Gods, please tell me that’s it!” she begged.

“Alcyoneus came back,” Percy said looking at Hazel. “You and your dad took care of it. Of course, he had to announce his presence like right after Frank died and none of us were really thinking rationally. Hazel, you like, totally flipped.”

Piper’s stomach started sinking.  _ Jason, Frank, and now Hazel? _ If Percy and Annabeth were the only ones of the Seven to do this whole time travel thing, did that mean they were the only ones of the Seven to survive?

“It was like an explosion,” Percy said almost reverently. He seemed in awe, like how the other campers had spoken about him in his absence. “Gold, diamonds, rubies, pretty much any precious metal nearby. Hazel, you pulled them  _ all _ up and they turned into liquid and just pulled him back into the pit via Pluto’s powers,” Percy waved his hands around. “It took too much out of you.”

“Oh gods,” Piper sobbed, burying her face into Jason’s chest. “Are we all dead?”

“No,” Annabeth sighed. “But I wish it was that way. Some things are worse than death, you know? Pretty much all the Apollo kids died. Not you, Will, but… you were a rare survivor. Gaea sent a small army to attack Olympus. That’s where we kept the healers. Apollo volunteered to transport the injured there throughout the battle. Anyone injured never stood a chance, so they died too.” Her breath hitched. “Leo… Leo wanted to try the plan again, so he got Piper and flew Gaea up. Piper charmspoke Gaea to become drowsy. Aphrodite caught Piper when Leo let her go. Thalia… gods, Percy, please?”

Percy took over. “Thalia summoned a storm and blasted Gaea the same time Leo blasted Gaea with fire. They got her, but… there wasn’t a physician’s cure this time, and a lot of the lightning rebound back at Thalia.”

“The three of us are the only ones left?” Piper heard herself ask. Her own voice seemed far away.

Will looked stunned. “There’s a reason only three go on a quest,” he pointed out quietly. “Do you think you can stop this?”

“Gaea  _ has _ to die the first time,” Annabeth said desperately. “When Leo blows her up. He’ll take the physician’s cure, and rescue Calypso. That’s our only shot at saving lives.”

“I’ll make it happen,” Leo promised, who, in Piper’s opinion, looked oddly cheerful for a guy who learned that the fate of the world literally depends on his death. “I’m Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Supreme, the Super Sized McShizzle.” He clapped his hands. “Right. Now, we have a freaky Hades kid to save and a giant Athena statue to find. No time to waste. Let’s get a move on!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised you some insight on the future didn't I? I also promise some insight on the future via flashback, but you'll have to keep reading to find that out.  
> Totally did not plan to have that whole "three per quest" thing, but I realized that after I killed off Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo, that left Percy, Annabeth, and Piper which totals three. Huh. Must have been the Fates.


	11. Death Has a Name (Nico XI)

Nico remembered the giant hand grabbing him. Not much else after that though. Everything was a blur. He knew he was in that cursed bronze jar, and he knew he ate a pomegranate seed. He knew the nightmares would come.

He waited for them. As he slipped into the death trance, he started to regret it.

.

_ Piper’s scream still rang in his ears. The dull thud Jason’s body made echoed in his thoughts. _

_ Everyone wanted Nico to talk about it, but to be perfectly honest, describing how monsters brutally killed Jason right in front of Nico just wasn’t very high on Nico’s list of moments he wanted to relive. _

_ The past two weeks he spent fighting monsters and destroying them. Nothing he did made him feel like he had gotten justice for Jason’s death. Nico just kept killing monster after monster. He never felt anything like this before. _

_ Well, that wasn’t completely true. When Bianca had died, he was like this. Unlike then, Nico had someone to help keep his head on. _

_ Will Solace was the son of Apollo and, despite the current atmosphere in the days following the two week long invasion, he managed to keep his cheerful, happy-go-lucky, cando attitude. _

_ “You don’t seem as drained as before,” Will pointed out when he finally deemed Nico fit to leave the makeshift infirmary in Apollo’s temple three days later. “When you had the statue, you almost dissolved into shadows. After two weeks of non stop fighting, this is pretty good.” _

_ “Shadow travel is a lot more draining than anything else I can do.” _

_ “Still. I’m glad you’re not becoming one with the shadows this time, di Angelo.” _

_ Nico’s stomach fluttered. Then he scowled. “Why do you care, Will?” _

_ “Because you’re my friend,” Will answered promptly. “And I like you.” _

_ Now he was blushing. That was so embarrassing! He’s the son of Hades. He doesn’t blush. He scowled darkly and looked down, letting his hair fall in his face. “Yeah, well, you’re alone there. No one wants to be around me. Who would? My father is literally the ruler of death. I have a zombie chauffeur. I was trained by actual ghosts.” _

_ “Zombie chauffeurs are cool,” Will grinned. “Plus, the Seven… they like you too. And you did hear what I said at… at Camp, right? You pushed us away, not the other way around.” He frowned. “And you’re doing it again.” _

_ “Jason’s dead, Will. I should have been able to protect him.” Nico balled his fists tightly. “That’s like my whole life story. I should have been able to save Bianca. I should have been able to resist stupid Minos. I should have been able to help Percy  _ without _ betraying his trust. I should have been able to tell Annabeth where Percy was. I should have been able to evade the giants. I should have been able to find the Doors of Death and close them. I should have been able to save Percy and Annabeth from falling into Tartarus. I should have been able to transport the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood faster. I should have been able to save Leo. I should have been able to save Jason.” He squeezed his eyes shut so the tears threatening to fall couldn’t. “Tell me something I did that was worthwhile, Will. Because it seems like everything I’ve done, I should have been able to do more.” _

_ “You convinced your dad to fight the Titans. I… I always admired that.” _

_ Nico blinked. “You did?” _

_ Will shrugged. “Well, yeah. We probably won the war because of that. At the very least, you and your dad saved a ton of lives that day.” _

_ “Lives that have now been lost to Gaea.” _

_ “That’s not fair to compare the two events,” Will said disapprovingly. “You contributed a lot to the Titan war. And if you want to talk about feeling useless… I can’t fight, Nico. I mean, I’m decent with a bow. A lot better to be honest after lessons from Artemis, but healing has always been my strong suit. I know it’s still helping, but kinda feels like I’m useless in this War. Promise me that if you make it out of this alive you’ll socialize more? And be careful with your Underworld-y magic stuff?” _

_ Holy Hera, those skeletal butterflies must be doing whole gymnastic routines. Nico crossed his arms. “Yeah, yeah. Promise. Don’t die on me either, Will. You’re a good friend, you know.” _

_. _

_ “OH YEAH! LEO VALDEZ IS BACK!” _

_ Nico would have punched Leo in the face if it wasn’t for Will’s glare to remind him not to ‘overexert’ himself. _

_ Three weeks after the giants attacked Olympus, Leo Valdez apparently decided he didn’t want to be dead anymore. _

_ “SUPER SIZED MCSHIZZLE IS BACK BABY!” _

_ Leo landed Festus and slid off the metal dragon’s back. He was met with silence. A girl with long caramel brown hair and almond-shaped eyes slid off after him. Her jeans were streaked with grease and dirt much like Leo’s whole body. The only clean item the two appeared to have was the pink ski jacket the girl wore, although it too had some dirt on it. _

_ “Leo?” Piper whispered in shock. She launched herself at her friend and hugged him tight. “Leo! Gods, we missed you!” Then she socked him in the arm. “You idiot! We all thought you were dead!” Her voice broke and her arms wrapped around herself. _

_ Leo’s smile faltered. He scanned the crowd of demigods and gods that all seemed rather indifferent to his arrival. “What happened? We went to Camp Half-Blood first, but… it’s not even there anymore. Piper?” _

_ Percy finally stepped forward. “Leo, it’s been almost two months since you… didn’t die. Stuff happened. The giants forced us too flee to Olympus. Three weeks ago, they attacked. The fighting only just stopped about a week ago.” He finally noticed the girl at Leo’s side. “Calypso?” _

_ “Hi, Percy,” the girl said with a sad smile. “Please don’t apologize. I don’t blame you for what happened.” _

_ Percy nodded tightly. “I wasn’t going to,” he said stiffly. “Just so you know, Annabeth’s fine. She survived your curse,” he said bitterly. _

_ Nico raised an eyebrow as he looked between Percy and Calypso. History was clearly shared here. _

_ “Because there’s these things called arai in Tartarus,” Percy continued as Calypso’s face got paler. “And if you kill them, they curse you. I got poisoned by gorgon’s blood like Phineas, an arrow shot through my chest like Geryon, you know, all the different ways I’ve killed monsters over the years. Annabeth was blinded, that was Polyphemus of course, but the curse that made her feel abandoned was the worst.” His eyes held a steely glint. “Your curse. Maybe a curse was deserved, but you should have cursed me. Not Annabeth.” He looked at Leo. “Welcome back, Leo.” Then he stalked off. _

_ Nico moved towards Leo. “Your death felt different,” he said. “I guess that’s because you didn’t die.” _

_ Leo snorted. “Nice way to greet me, di Angelo. But, uh, the Physician’s Cure brought me back. Flew to Ogygia and got Calypso. Went to Camp about a week ago. Tried Camp Jupiter too. That was three days ago. Both camps are…” he trailed off. _

_ “They are gone,” Calypso said quietly. Her face was still pale white from her encounter with Percy. “At Camp Half-Blood, Leo wished to find Bunker 9. The earth attacked us,” she said, gesturing to the dirt stains on their clothes and skin. “We believe Gaea swallowed the camps.” _

_ Nico’s chest tightened. “Oh gods. What about the mortals? We haven’t been down there in weeks. Have they left the mortals alone?” _

_ Leo and Calypso’s silence was all the answer Nico needed. He had felt many deaths since they fled to Olympus, but he had always held out hope that the mortals were not being utterly decimated by Gaea. _

_ “Look,” Leo said lowly. “I want to try my plan again. My fire wasn’t strong enough to kill Gaea, but I think if Jason or Thalia like sent a Hades ton of lightning at her the same time I set fire to her… I think it’ll work.” _

_ Calypso looked unsure, and Nico was ready to join her in this uncertainty. _

_ “The prophecy said the world would fall to storm  _ or _ fire. Not both,” Nico pointed out. Then he backtracked. Leo didn’t know… _

_ “Um, Leo,” Will said gently. _

_ Nico started. He forgot Will was there. _

_ “Jason… Jason’s dead,” Will said quietly. “Three weeks ago. The day the giants began their attack on Olympus.” _

_ Leo flinched back. “What?” His eyes darted to Nico as if to confirm it. _

_ Nico averted his eyes. He did not want this. Jason’s still form was burned into his mind as clearly as if he were looking at him now. The worst part of it all was Nico had no way to confirm that Jason was in Elysium where he belonged. His father did not dare visit the Underworld for fear that Gaea would capture him. _

_ “Then we  _ have _ to do this,” Leo said firmly. “For Jason.” _

_ “For Jason,” Nico echoed hollowly. _

_. _

_ Leo had brought with him his chipper attitude Nico so fondly remembered cursing on the Argo II. It was infectious too, it seemed because as the demigods and gods prepared to make their last stand against Gaea, everyone seemed to be in good spirits. _

_ “Gaea will have resurrected as many giants as she can,” Nico said at the next meeting of the Olympians and head demigods in Athena’s temple. He glanced at his father. “I don’t think she’s been able to have her followers chain open the Doors again.” _

_ “It’s most likely that she hasn’t,” Hades agreed. “The Doors will not like having been chained the first time. It will be a while before they can be chained again. Decades at least. Centuries at the most.” _

_ Athena breathed a sigh of relief. “That will be good for us. If Gaea has to resurrect the giants herself, it will be taxing for her.” _

_ “We need to send a few gods and demigods down to kill a giant every so often until we’re ready to execute this plan,” Ares said. “Force Gaea to resurrect her giants and keep her weakened.” _

_ “That might be dangerous,” Poseidon pointed out. “Our own powers are weakened. If we cannot get ourselves and our children out of harm's way, then we might not have even bothered going down at all.” _

_ “Either way, she can’t resurrect the giants quickly,” Hazel pointed out. “And it will take the giants a significant amount of time to regain their full power. Trust me, I know. We’ll have four months before they regain their strength at the latest. Probably three at the earliest.” _

_ “We’ll be ready in two months,” Leo promised. “Once I get Festus repaired, we can do this.” _

_ A chill ran down Nico’s spin. They had two more months of life at least. He remained in his seat long after everyone else had left. _

_ “Nico?” Will called. _

_ Nico looked up. “Hey. Sorry, just… thinking. Two more months of life probably. I’ve faced death before, but this is different, you know?” _

_ Will nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Our enemy is literally the Earth and that kinda sucks and seems like an impossible enemy. Knowing exactly when the fight is going down is, well, it’s terrifying.” _

_ “I have to do something,” Nico said suddenly. He stood up. “I have to go, Will. I’ll… I’ll…” _

_ “I’ll be in the infirmary,” Will said pointedly. “I have to help set up in preparation for this big mission of Leo’s. My dad already volunteered to bring anyone hurt in the fight back to his temple for healing.” _

_ Nico nodded and rushed out of Athena’s temple. He found Percy and Annabeth talking quietly. _

_ “Hey, Nico,” Annabeth smiled when she saw him. “You okay? You kinda zoned out in there.” _

_ Nico felt sick to his stomach to be honest, but he managed a small smile back. “Yeah, just the whole, we might all be dead in two months thing.” _

_ “What else is new?” Percy snorted. “I’ve had a death sentence hanging over me since I was conceived.” _

_ “Did you need something?” Annabeth asked when it was clear Nico’s mouth was failing him. _

_ Nico exhaled and nodded. “Yeah, I figure since I could die soon, I should get this off my chest.” He took a deep breath. “When we were on our way to the House of Hades, Jason and I ran into Cupid. He had the scepter of Diocletian." _

_ "Scepter of who?" _

_ "Um, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, I thought I should clear the air.” _

_ Percy smile wavered. “What do you mean?” _

_ “For a long time,” Nico said, “I had a crush on you. I just wanted you to know. Before we all die,” he added unnecessarily. _

_ Percy looked at Nico. Then at Annabeth, and if Percy decided to confess his secret love for Nico, Nico just might punch him. Percy looked back at Nico. “You-” _

_ “Yeah,” Nico interrupted. “You’re a great person. But I’m over that. Besides, I’ve always thought you two belong together,” he added with a grin remembering the first time he met Percy and had bombarded him with questions, one of them being about if Annabeth was Percy’s girlfriend. _

_ “You… so you mean-” _

_ “Right.” _

_ Annabeth’s grey eyes started to sparkle. She gave Nico a sideways smile. _

_ “Wait,” Percy said. “So you mean –” _

_ “Right,” Nico said again. “But it’s cool. We’re cool. I mean, I see now … you’re cute, but you’re  _ _ not my type.” _

_ “I’m not your type … Wait. So –” _

_ “See you around, Percy,” Nico said. “Annabeth.” _

_ She raised her hand for a high five. _

_ Nico obliged. Then, with a much lighter heart, he walked down the roads of Olympus towards Apollo’s temple, to where Will Solace was waiting. _

_. _

_ “WILL! WILL!” _

_ Nico’s desperate shouts rang through an empty Olympus. His breath hitched as he stared across the remains of Annabeth’s hard work from after the Titan war. Ruined again. _

_ Gaea had sent a small force of monsters to attack Olympus. How she knew they had left the palace of the gods virtually defenseless was beyond Nico. How Athena or Annabeth didn’t expect this move was beyond Nico too. _

_ “WILL!” Nico shouted again. He knew it was probably futile, Apollo’s temple was completely leveled and there was a very strong aura of death surrounding the ruins. _

_ “WILL!” Nico’s voice cracked. “Will, please.” _

_ A groan to his left. Some of the debris shifted. Nico ran over to help. _

_ “Huh? Nico?” _

_ Will Solace looked completely out of it. His eyes were glazed and he was covered in dust. He blinked slowly. “What happened?” _

_ “Gaea sent her monsters to attack!” Nico shouted angrily. “They leveled Apollo’s temple. I thought you were dead you dork!” Nico kissed him before he could realize what he was doing. He pulled back, red faced. “Oh gods, Will, I-” _

_ Will cut him off by pulling Nico back down for another kiss. “You have no idea how long I wanted to do that,” Will mumbled. He frowned. “Wait. If you’re back already, did we win?” _

_ Nico gave him his best glare of death to which Will only responded with a laugh. _

_ “Yeah,” Nico answered. He did a double take at his own words realizing what he said. “Yeah! We… we won! Gaea’s gone!” The excitement quickly faded though and he sat next to Will on the pile of stone that used to be part of Hestia’s temple. _

_ “Who did we lose?” Will asked quietly. He put an arm around Nico hesitantly. _

_ Nico stiffened, but finally leaned into the touch. “Frank and Hazel,” Nico answered, equally as quiet. His voice wobbled when he said his sister’s name. “Hecate. I haven’t found Kayla or Austin or anyone, and Apollo’s missing too.” He felt Will tense up. “Leo and Thalia took out Gaea, but… the fire and lightning, I don’t know. I guess it was too much.” Nico let out a shaky breath. “I thought you were dead too.” _

_ Will squeezed Nico’s hand. “I… I’m not. I’m alive, Nico. I’m here.” _

.

They learned death had a name that day. Jason, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Hecate, Apollo, Austin, Kayla…

Nico wasn’t sure what the final death count was. He didn’t want to know. He ate another seed. He only had two more left after this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The promised flashback!  
> Also, I suck at writing romance so... SOLANGELO! Boom. Done. Kinda just threw that one in there. Like, oh! Where did that come from? Not the hopeless Solangelo shipper writing this story. When Nico walked across the green to where Will Solace was waiting, my life ended. Also Hidden Oracle. They were just too cute, omg love Solangelo.  
> My favorite line this chapter would have to be: "I had a crush on you. I just wanted you to know. Before we all die," he added unnecessarily.  
> Oh, Nico!


	12. Predestination (Percy XII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been saying this, but recognizable sections up until this point come from The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, or The Mark of Athena. Obviously, they aren't mine.

The fact that they couldn’t avoid the Shrimpzilla attack really ticked Percy off. Really, the fact that they couldn’t avoid  _ anything _ they should have been able to avoid.

Leo did not fire on the Romans, but still there were problems with the ship causing them to have to stop to repair the ship. Leo and Hazel ran into Nemesis and Narcissus still. Okay. Percy could roll with that. Nothing too bad. At least Nico’s threat held good with the eidolons and Percy hadn’t been forced to fight Jason to the death.

Instead, they reached Atlanta and  _ still _ had to deal with Keto and Phorcys. Plus, Frank decided to swipe the Chinese Handcuff and upon seeing them Annabeth just about cut Frank’s head off much to the alarm of everyone on the Argo II (though, Coach Hedge might have been please, Percy thought privately). The only reason they ended up going was because  _ some people _ couldn’t accept that the map they needed was in Charleston. Yes, he was looking at Jason and Frank. But he was  _ hoping _ to escape  _ before _ Phorcys captured them. No such luck.

“I  _ told _ you it was in Charleston!” Percy gasped for breath as he, Frank, and Coach Hedge made it back to the Argo II. “I told you guys, but no!”

Jason and Frank winced and rubbed their necks. “Sorry, Percy.”

“ _ Sorry, Percy _ ,” Percy mimicked. He grumbled. “This whole thing sucks!”

Okay, so it wasn’t really  _ that _ bad, Percy had to admit. Things like the nymphaeum or Tartarus were bad things Percy really wanted to avoid.

Much to Annabeth’s and probably Piper’s relief, the two girls and Hazel did not have to visit Aphrodite. Instead, Annabeth went alone to Fort Sumter to retrieve the map. Percy was not happy with this having been told Annabeth first was surrounded by spiders.

The third day of this ridiculous quest, Annabeth enlisted Jason to carry Nico to the infirmary where Will Solace would undoubtedly fix up the son of Hades. Percy complained that even unconscious he still wasn’t Nico’s type. Annabeth just laughed and left with Jason.

Only hours later, Will freaking Solace pops out of the shadows courtesy of Nico, and lays it on them that Nico has been captured by the twins. Again. So that was cool. Not.

As if that wasn’t enough, the very next day, Shrimpzilla had to attack. Leo, Hazel, and Frank visited Camp Fish-Blood and brought back those delicious brownies. And of course a letter of intro to the Tiber River god.

“The fish-centaurs said Nico has less than two days!” Hazel finally blurted. “They said we had to rescue him because he’s essential to the quest.”

Will froze. Percy could help but grin. They just couldn’t help but fall into the awkward will they won’t they phase apparently.

“Right,” Percy said, trying to keep a level voice. “Okay, so I know where the twins are keeping Nico. When we get to Rome, Annabeth can go off to find the statue, I’ll take Jason and Piper to get Nico, and then Frank, Hazel, and Leo will go get all Leo’s Archemides stuff. Will… I dunno where you’ll go yet.”

Leo’s jaw dropped. “Archemides? You never said anything about that!”

“Well now I am,” Percy shrugged. “Okay, so we have one day till we absolutely have to know what the prophecy means.”

“ _ Twins snuff out the angel’s light, _ ” Piper recited. She glanced at Will. “I think Will being the  _ angel’s light _ makes sense. He should go with us when we rescue Nico.”

Will nodded fervently. “I am absolutely going to help save Nico. Besides, obviously Percy knows what kind of a state he was in and judging by that grimace I just saw, it was bad. Nico will need his doctor there.”

“You’re a doctor?” Hazel asked with surprise.

Will gave her a sheepish grin. “Kinda? I’m working on getting certified. I mean, I do an online class every few months and stuff.” He shrugged. “I’m a son of Apollo. I just naturally have a healing talent. Like, I just know how to fix a broken arm or treat an ear infection and stuff.” His smile widened. “If I wanted to, I could totally give flu shots blindfolded!”

“Remind me not to see you during flu shot season,” Leo muttered.

Annabeth cleared her throat. “Okay. So Will’s the light. Great. Why is he being snuffed out?”

“No use speculating,” Jason said, shaking his head. “It could mean a number of things. We need to focus on the other line.  _ Who holds the key to saviors’ plight _ . We know that the saviors are Percy and Annabeth and their plight is their fall into Tartarus to close the Doors of Death.”

Frank frowned. “By this logic, Will should know what they need to do.” He peered at Will. “Do you?”

“Not really,” Will said quietly. “I’m really sorry. I wish I could help more, but… I’m not a hero like you guys. I’m the guy that makes sure the heroes are healthy and healing from all the injuries.”

“And if you put any of us in front of a bleeding body, we would panic,” Annabeth said, crossing her arms. “You remain calm and fix it in no time flat. You  _ are _ a hero, Will. Not all heroes wear capes. Or,” she laughed, “in this case, have magic pen or coin swords. Not all heroes can use their voice as a weapon. Not all heroes can look at their troops and formulate a battle plan. Not all heroes can shift into different animals. But all heroes save lives. We could stand here all day comparing ourselves to other heroes and make claims about how they’re better than us, but that would be a waste of time. We are all important and we all have a part to play, yeah? So let’s get to Rome and save our friend.”

“We should reach the Mediterranean tomorrow morning,” Leo said. He fiddled with the controls. “Then spend the rest of the day sailing to Rome.”

Jason stopped eating his brownie. “Which puts us in Rome on the last possible day for Nico. I mean, I know Percy knows where Nico is, but still. That makes me nervous. We have exactly twenty-four hours to find and save him. Not good. No room for error.”

“We can do it,” Percy assured him with a nervous smile.

Hazel shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not really liking that we know you and Annabeth are supposed to fall into Tartarus if we don’t figure out another way. We shouldn’t give up. Tartarus, well, you two obviously know more than I do, but there is a reason it’s where all the tormented souls and monsters go.”

“I don’t like it either,” Jason agreed. “Someone else could do it.  _ I’ll _ go in your place.”

“Not happening,” Annabeth said firmly. “Like we said. Percy and I know the way. Besides, if we do end up going, Percy’s the only one who knows Bob.”

“And we’re on much better terms than the first time,” Percy agreed. “Nico took me to visit Bob a few times before I disappeared.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, we need to focus on what we’re facing tomorrow. Hercules and Chrysaor.”

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. “Chrysaor. Is there any way we can avoid him?”

“I don’t think so,” Will said shaking his head. “So far, you haven’t been able to avoid anything, right? That’s probably because time wills it to happen.” He looked at Annabeth. “Surely you must know this.”

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “Time travel paradoxes. Of course! We can’t change certain events because they’re fixed points, right? So far, all we’ve managed to stop was the Roman’s declaring war on the Greeks. But we almost didn’t. Despite Nico’s suggestion to use iron, Leo still got possessed by the eidolon. It’s the predestination paradox.”

“So basically what you’re saying is that everything is going to happen because it has to happen?” Piper asked, raised eyebrows.

Annabeth nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. There was a Twilight Zone episode about this one. A girl went back in time to kill Hitler, but she ended up being the reason he exists in the first place.” A pause. Then the realization sunk in. “Oh my gods. If we came back to stop Gaea, are we going to be the reason she doesn’t… oh gods.” Annabeth’s hands flew to her mouth.

“The prophecy wouldn’t have changed if that was the case,” Percy said shaking his head.

Leo raised a hand. “Uh, there was a different prophecy?”

“ _ Wisdom’s daughter walks along / The Mark of Athena burns through Rome / Twins snuff out the angel’s breath / Who holds the key to endless death / The giants’ bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail _ ,” Percy recited. “Last time, the prophecy talked about Nico’s death trance which was the endless death thing.”

“So some events are predetermined to happen,” Frank noted. “Some we can stop.”

Percy tried not to think too hard about what events might be unavoidable. Ever since the muck in Alaska, well, Percy was kinda terrified of water. The fact that he almost drowned in the muck twice didn’t help. And if certain things were unavoidable, Percy sincerely hoped the nymphaeum was avoidable.

.

Percy didn’t feel very apologetic when he voluntold Jason and Piper for the job of talking to Hercules. When Jason gave him a dirty look, Percy shrugged and said, “You two did it before.”

Of course, when Jason and Piper returned to the ship as they fled as fast as Leo could steer the ship, Jason was still giving him a dirty look.

“You never said  _ not _ to mention Hera!” Jason snapped.

Percy blinked. “Huh? What does the bovine goddess have to do with anything?”

“Bovine-”

“She who shall not be named.”

“Female Volde-”

“You know who.”

“Volde-”

“Shut up!” Piper shouted. She must have put a ton of charmspeak into her words because Percy found himself unable to speak. She looked at Percy and Annabeth. “What next?”

“Monsters will probably be attacking nonstop,” Annabeth shrugged. “No biggie, right?”

It was actually a biggie in Percy’s humble opinion. Several times an hour, something attacked the ship. A flock of flesh-eating Stymphalian birds swooped out of the night sky, and Festus torched them. Storm spirits swirled around the mast, and Jason blasted them with lightning. While Coach Hedge was having dinner on the foredeck, a wild pegasus appeared from nowhere, stampeded over the coach’s enchiladas, and flew off again, leaving cheesy hoof prints all across the deck.

“What was that for?” the coach demanded.

Finally around midnight, after the ninth or tenth aerial attack, Jason turned to him. “How about you get some sleep? I’ll keep blasting stuff out of the sky as long as I can. Then we can go by sea for a while, and you can take point.”

Percy mumbled something about that being what they did last time, but he did wander off down to his bunk. Unfortunately, his dreams were nightmares and they were anything but restful.

.

_ He dreamed he was in a dark cavern. He could only see a few feet in front of him, but the space must have been vast. Water dripped from somewhere nearby, and the sound echoed off distant walls. He gulped in realization.  _ Arachne’s lair _. _

_ He heard heavy footsteps, and the twin giants Ephialtes and Otis shuffled out of the gloom. The giants stood in front of Percy, but they paid him no attention. Instead, they gazed up into the darkness. _

_ “We’re here,” Ephialtes announced. Despite his booming voice, his words dissipated in the cavern, echoing until they sounded small and insignificant. _

_ Far above, something answered, “Yes. I can see that. Those outfits are hard to miss.” _

_ The voice made Percy’s stomach drop about six inches. It was definitely the monstrous spider his girlfriend was going to head off to fight soon. _

_ “Of course, Your Ladyship,” Ephialtes said. “We bring news of—” _

_ “Why are you dressed like that?” asked Arachne. _

_ Ephialtes shot his brother an irritated look. “My brother was supposed to wear something different. Unfortunately—” _

_ “You said I was the knife thrower today,” Otis protested. _

_ “I said I was the knife thrower! You were supposed to be the magician! Ah, forgive me, Your Ladyship. You don’t want to hear us arguing. We came as you requested, to bring you news. The ship is approaching.” _

_ “How long?” she asked. _

_ “They should land in Rome shortly after daybreak, I think,” Ephialtes said. “Of course, they’ll have to get past the golden boy.” He sneered. _

Chrysaor _ , Percy recalled. _

_ “I hope they arrive safely,” Her Ladyship said. “It would spoil our fun to have them captured too soon. Are your preparations made?” _

_ “Yes, Your Ladyship.” Otis stepped forward, and the cavern trembled. A crack appeared under Otis’s left snake. _

_ “Careful, you dolt!” Her Ladyship snarled. “Do you want to return to Tartarus the hard way?” _

_ Otis scrambled back, his face slack with terror. Percy’s heart beat rapidly. He remembered the chasm in Arachne’s lair. He was glad he weighed nothing in his dreams. _

_ “There is little left holding this place together,” Her Ladyship cautioned. “Except, of course, my own skill. Centuries of Athena’s rage can only be contained so well, and the great Earth Mother churns below us in her sleep. Between those two forces, well…my nest has quite eroded. We must hope this child of Athena proves to be a worthy victim. She may be my last plaything.” _

_ Ephialtes gulped. He kept his eyes on the crack in the floor. “Soon it will not matter, Your Ladyship. Gaea will rise, and we all will be rewarded. You will no longer have to guard this place, or keep your works hidden.” _

_ “Perhaps,” said the voice in the dark. “But I will miss the sweetness of my revenge. We have worked well together over the centuries, have we not?” _

_ The twins bowed. _

_ “Uh, Your Ladyship,” Ephialtes said nervously. “I would remind you that Gaea wishes the girl to be taken alive. You can torment her. Drive her insane. Whatever you wish, of course. But her  _ _ blood must be spilt on the ancient stones.” _

_ Her Ladyship hissed. “Others could be used for that purpose.” _

_ “Y-yes,” Ephialtes said. “But this girl is preferred. And the boy—the son of Poseidon. You can see why those two would be most suited for the task.” _

_ Percy winced. Stupid nosebleed. This time, he hoped Gaea would not spill his blood, but there was no way to guarantee it. _

_ “We will see,” Her Ladyship grumbled. “Leave me now. Tend to your own preparations. You will have your spectacle. And I…I will work in darkness.” _

_. _

The dream dissolved, and Percy woke with a start. Jason was knocking at his open doorway.

“We’ve set down in the water,” he said, looking utterly exhausted. “Your turn.”

“No, no!” Percy yelped, jumping to his feet. “Chrysaor! This is when we meet him! Pull up!” he shouted, running out onto the deck. “Leo, pull up!”

Leo jumped. He looked back at Percy in confusion. “What?”

“Pull up!” Percy screamed.

Leo wasted no time. He yanked the controls and the ship tilted upwards at a steep angle. Shouts of confusion and shock came from below. When Leo finally leveled the ship, he raised an eyebrow at Percy.

Percy ignored him. “We’re not far from the Italian coast. Maybe a hundred nautical miles to the mouth of the Tiber? I can’t tell for sure anymore since we’re not in the water.”

“Chrysaor?” Jason managed to ask. He looked like he had been holding onto the railing for dear life. Percy doubted the guy had any strength left in him after fighting the monsters off all night. “Who’s that again?”

“My half-brother,” Percy answered. “You aren’t the only one with a horrible one.”

Jason managed a grimace. Then he stumbled as the ship hit something.

“Oh man,” Percy sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love those time travel paradoxes.  
> This was my lil explanation on how this time travel thingy works. Hope ya like and understand.


	13. Everyone Hates Percy's Plans (Jason XIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable text from Mark of Athena

They spent the next hours after defeating Chrysaor together. Jason didn’t know if he wanted to protest some more or just carry on having a good time with his friends.

Annabeth seemed very nonchalant for a girl who was about to face down the queen of spiders in a few hours. Not to mention possibly fall to Tartarus for the second time.

Percy smiled and laughed along with Annabeth as they recounted some of their past quests.

Jason marveled at all they had done. Returning the master bolt to Zeus, finding the Golden Fleece, holding the weight of the sky, navigating the Labyrinth, gaining Achilles’ Curse, and the Battle of Manhattan.

He shook his head. How the Greeks had managed to hold off a full scale invasion of the Titan army was amazing. Even the Romans had struggled with their attack in the West. If he had been in Percy’s shoes… Jason no doubt would have been terrified. Which, Percy admitted he was scared the whole time, so Jason did feel a little better about that.

When they arrived in Rome, everyone fell silent.

“I guess this is it,” Will was the first to speak.

Annabeth and Percy finally started to look unsure.

“You got this, Wise Girl,” Percy assured her. He gave her a soft smile and held her hands. “You can outsmart her again. You’re going to go and prove you’re the greatest child of Athena. You are going to find the Athena Parthenos twice.”

Annabeth laughed. “Second time is cheating.”

“Second time is not cheating,” Percy denied. “The first time was like… a trial run. The second time is the real one.”

“Okay,” Annabeth mumbled. She kissed Percy lightly. “Love you. Remember where you have to go?”

“Yeah,” Percy answered. “Love you too.”

Jason watched them with a pained look. They shouldn’t have to go through this again. It wasn’t fair.

Will gave Annabeth a med kit. “I tried to prepare for everything you said,” he told her. “There should be more than enough for you in the cavern. Anything extra can be used if you… you know.”

Annabeth took the kit with a grateful look. “Thanks, Will. I appreciate this.” She put the kit in her bag. “Don’t let Nico die on us, okay?”

“I don’t plan on letting that happen anytime soon,” Will promised.

“You’re a really good friend to him,” Annabeth said with a smile. “I’m glad you became friends much earlier this time.”

Piper sniffled. “Annabeth, this sounds like a goodbye.”

“I have to say it,” Annabeth interrupted her. “Just in case. Please.” She looked at Jason. “You be good to Nico too. You’re like his big brother.”

Percy grumbled something too lowly for Jason to hear, but Annabeth laughed. “Get over it, Percy.”

Hazel hugged Annabeth tightly. “Good luck, Annabeth. We’ll be waiting for you.”

“I’ll come back,” Annabeth said, but Jason didn’t think it sounded very convincing.

Finally, all the goodbyes had been said. Annabeth took a deep breath before walking out of the Argo II. She turned around to wave at her friends.

“Now what?” Jason asked Percy.

Percy frowned. “Uh, last time Frank, Hazel, and Leo left to like detect Nico or something. You guys should probably do that again. I dunno what you did, but whatever you did worked and stuff.” He waved his hands at them. “Go on. Shoo shoo.”

Hazel scowled at him. “We aren’t dogs, Percy.” She grabbed her spatha and looked at the two boys. “Ready?”

Percy shoved backpacks at them. “Take these. You might need them.”

“I hate this plan,” Frank mumbled as he followed Hazel and Leo off the Argo II.

Percy gave Jason, Piper, and Will a grim look. “Our journey is… complicated. There’s a nymphaeum we have to go through to get to Nico.”

Piper pointed in the direction the other three demigods had gone in. “Uh, Percy? Didn’t you send Leo, Hazel, and Frank to find Nico?”

“No, I sent Hazel and Frank with Leo to find Archimedes stuff,” Percy corrected. “I dunno, Leo can do, like, a ton of stuff with what he found.” He shrugged. “It’s useful in the future. Come on. Let’s go meet these nasty nymphs.”

Jason found himself siding with Frank. He hated this plan.

.

It really sucked. Percy was decidedly crazy, Jason determined.

After the nymphaeum started filling with poison water, Percy calmly asked Piper to bring out her cornucopia. He said they had to concentrate on filling the poison water with clean water. Easier said than done though.

Regardless, they managed to do it and the nymphs rewarded them with the entrance to the giants’ lair. So a great reward of course.

Several hundred feet later, they reached a turn in the tunnel. Percy held up his hand, signaling Jason and Piper to wait. He peeked around the corner.

“What is it?” Piper whispered.

“We’re here,” was all Percy said.

Jason, Piper, and Will exchanged nervous looks as Percy gestured for his friends to come forward and take a look.

About twenty feet inside the doorway, a life-size wooden cutout of a gladiator popped up from the floor. It clicked and whirred along a conveyor belt, got hooked on a rope, and ascended through a slot in the roof.

Jason murmured, “What the heck?”

Percy winced. “Ah, right. The twins kinda have a flair for theatrics and stuff.”

They stepped inside. About a hundred yards away, they spotted a raised dais with two empty oversized praetor chairs. Standing between them was a bronze jar big enough to hold a person.

“Look.” Jason pointed it out to his friends.

Piper frowned. “That’s too easy.”

“Of course,” Percy said.

“But we have no choice,” Jason said. “We’ve got to save Nico.”

“Yeah, but maybe without getting caught and stuff,” Percy said as he started across the room.

They had made it about halfway to the bronze jar when the ceiling opened over them. A platform lowered. Standing on it like an actor, with one hand raised and his head high, was the purple-haired giant Ephialtes.

Ephialtes smiled at the demigods like he was really, really pleased to see them. “At last!” he bellowed. “So very happy! Honestly, I didn’t think you’d make it past the nymphs, but it’s so much better that you did. Much more entertaining. You’re just in time for the main event!”

Jason and Piper closed ranks on either side of Percy. Will notched an arrow and aimed it at the giant. Ephialtes' eyes danced with a crazy light.

“We’re here,” Percy said, which sounded kind of obvious once he had said it. “Let our friend go.”

“Of course!” Ephialtes said. “Though I fear he’s a bit past his expiration date. Otis, where are you?” A stone’s throw away, the floor opened, and the other giant rose on a platform. “Otis, finally!” his brother cried with glee. “You’re not dressed the same as me! You’re…” Ephialtes’ expression turned to horror. “What are you wearing?”

Otis looked like the world’s largest, grumpiest ballet dancer. He wore a skin-tight baby-blue leotard that Jason really wished left more to the imagination. The toes of his massive dancing slippers were cut away so that his snakes could protrude. A diamond tiara was nestled in his green, firecracker-braided hair. He looked glum and miserably uncomfortable, but he managed a dancer’s bow, which couldn’t have been easy with snake feet and a huge spear on his back.

“Gods and Titans!” Ephialtes yelled. “It’s showtime! What are you thinking?”

“I didn’t want to wear the gladiator outfit,” Otis complained. “I still think a ballet would be perfect, you know, while Armageddon is going on.” He raised his eyebrows hopefully at the demigods. “I have some extra costumes—”

“No!” Ephialtes snapped. The purple-haired giant faced Percy. He grinned so painfully, he looked like he was being electrocuted. “Please excuse my brother,” he said. “His stage presence is awful, and he has no sense of style.”

“Okay,” Percy agreed. “Now, about our friend…”

“Oh, him,” Ephialtes sneered. “We were going to let him finish dying in public, but he has no entertainment value. He’s spent days curled up sleeping. What sort of spectacle is that? Otis,  tip over the jar.”

Otis trudged over to the dais, stopping occasionally to do a plié. He knocked over the jar, the lid popped off, and Nico di Angelo spilled out. The sight of his deathly pale face and too skinny frame was terrifying.

“Nico!” Will shouted. He rushed over despite the other’s warnings.

“Let us go,” Piper said firmly, and Jason could hear the charmspeak in her voice. “That would be an incredible twist. And the entertainment value! You want that, right? And we could do dance moves as we escape.”

Piper almost pulled it off, Jason decided as he watched the two twins contemplate her idea.

At last Ephialtes shook his head. “No…no, I’m afraid not. You see, my girl, I am the anti-Dionysus. I have a reputation to uphold. Dionysus thinks he knows parties? He’s wrong! His revels are tame compared to what I can do. That old stunt we pulled, for instance, when we piled up mountains to reach Olympus—”

“I told you that would never work,” Otis muttered.

“And the time my brother covered himself with meat and ran through an obstacle course of drakons—”

“You said Hephaestus-TV would show it during prime time,” Otis said. “No one even saw me.”

“Well, this spectacle will be even better,” Ephialtes promised. “The Romans always wanted bread and circuses—food and entertainment! As we destroy their city, I will offer them both. Behold, a sample!”

Something dropped from the ceiling: a loaf of sandwich bread in a white plastic wrapper with red and yellow dots.

Percy picked it up. “Wonder bread?”

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Ephialtes’ eyes danced with crazy excitement. “You can keep that loaf. I plan on distributing millions to the people of Rome as I obliterate them.”

“Wonder bread is good,” Otis admitted. “Though the Romans should dance for it.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Jason could see Will helping Nico crawl out of the way. That was good at least.

“Maybe,” Percy ventured, “you should bring our other friends here. You know, spectacular deaths…the more the merrier, right?”

“Hmm.” Ephialtes fiddled with a button on his Hawaiian shirt. “No. It’s really too late to change the choreography. But never fear. The circuses will be marvelous! Ah…not the modern sort of circus, mind you. That would require clowns, and I hate clowns.”

“Everyone hates clowns,” Otis said. “Even other clowns hate clowns.”

“Exactly,” his brother agreed. “But we have much better entertainment planned! The three of you will die in agony, up above, where all the gods and mortals can watch. But that’s just the opening ceremony! In the old days, games went on for days or weeks. Our spectacle—the destruction of Rome—will go on for one full month until Gaea awakens.”

“Wait,” Jason said. “One month, and Gaea wakes up?” He cast an alarmed look at Percy who just looked cool as a cucumber with this revelation. Somehow, Percy and Annabeth failed to mention this tiny detail.

When Ephialtes confirmed this, Jason fought the urge to go over and strangle his two time traveling friends for leaving out such a crucial detail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, what Percy muttered was something along the lines of "not his type". I'm sorry, but in my mind, Percy will always hold that over Nico's head.  
> And so it begins! What will happen next?


	14. How to Save a Life (Will XIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Mark of Athena

Will’s heart stopped when Otis knocked over the bronze jar and Nico di Angelo spilled out. His face was pale and his clothes seemed way too loose.

“Nico!” he shouted, running to his friend.

“No, Will!” he heard Percy shout, but Will ignored him.

He slid down next to Nico. “Oh, gods, Nico. What happened to you?”

Percy, Jason, and Piper were busy keeping the giants occupied. Will was grateful for that at least. It gave him time to somewhat heal Nico and move him out of the way.

Will hummed a quick hymn to his father, and started to gently feed Nico some ambrosia. Nico groaned and started to push to his hands and knees.

“Will?” Nico mumbled, eyes half closed.

“Hey, Death Boy,” Will grinned. “Let’s get you out of here, yeah?”

Nico groaned again, but started crawling. Luckily, the giants hadn’t noticed them yet.

“What the Hades!” Piper shouted.

Nico turned his head to look, but Will forced him to keep going away from the danger zone. When Will looked over his shoulder, he saw the giants in different spots, purple smoke fading. He assumed they must have teleported or something to that effect because there was no way they moved that fast and silent.

A growl behind them. Will jumped. Right behind him and Nico were two leopards. Will drew his bow. He aimed an arrow at them.

“Stay back,” he said forcefully.

Piper appeared at Will’s side. She aimed her cornucopia at the leopards. A pot roast shot out and flew over their heads. Almost immediately, the leopards took off after it.

“Thanks,” Will said in relief.

Piper nodded, cocking her cornucopia like a gun.

“DUCK AND COVER!” Percy’s shout rang above the noise of the battle.

Will and Piper dropped to the ground and Will pushed Nico down. A sound like a fiesta in the middle of an exploding gunpowder factory. Chunks of the ceiling collapsed, and cages unleashed their contents on the giants and demigods. Sandbags rained down on Piper, Will, and Nico. One of the bags caught Piper’s shoulder.

“Piper!” Jason shouted.

“I’ve got her! She’s fine!” Will yelled, waving Jason back to his fight with Otis.

“Look out!” Percy’s voice exclaimed.

Will flinched, expecting something to happen, but it must have been Jason Percy was talking to because nothing happened. He quickly set to work healing Piper’s shoulder.

Jason ran over a few moments later.

“Fine,” Piper mumbled. “I’m fine.”

Nico finally decided to sit up. He blinked slowly. “Sunshine? What are you doing here?”

Will rolled his eyes. “I’m going to kill you for shadow traveling me,” he said darkly.

“I had to,” Nico slurred. “Something about a prophecy or whatever.” He was still blinking slowly, not fully comprehending what was going on. “Where are we?”

Will barely noticed as Percy and Jason rushed off to fight the giants again. He gave Nico a sympathetic look. “Uh, the twin giants’ place. You’ve been in a bronze jar for days, Nico. I thought you were dead when one of the giants dumped you out.”

As he said that, Will thought the ghost of a smile was on Nico’s lips as if he was remembering something. Then it was gone, replaced with Nico’s seemingly permanent frown.

“Not dead,” Nico said. He sat up, eyes still slightly glazed. “Woah.”

“Hey, come on, Nico,” Will said, placing his hands on Nico’s shoulders. “We’re here to rescue you.”

Nico was suddenly fully alert. He looked around wildly. “No, no! Will, you can’t be here! Oh gods, where’s Annabeth? Please tell me she didn’t go off on her own.”

“Calm down,” Will snapped. Nico went silent. “Annabeth is going to find the Athena Parthenos. We are going to meet her once Percy and Jason defeat the giants.” He had forgotten Piper was there until she cleared her throat and coughed loudly. “You have an injured shoulder,” Will said firmly. “You aren’t going to be fighting any giants until that’s healed.”

Suddenly, they disappeared in purple mist only to reappear in the emperor's box at the Colosseum. A man sat next to them. He had purple robes and golden laurels. Despite his formal Roman attire, Will could see khaki shorts under the robes and feet with sandals over white socks. In the man’s hand was a staff with a pinecone at the top.

“This is a proper show!” the man’s voice boomed.

Will glanced down at the arena and his eyes widened. Percy and Jason stood together facing the two giants.

“You’re just going to sit there?” Percy shouted up.

“The demigod is right!” Ephialtes bellowed. “Fight us yourself, coward! Um, without the demigods.”

The man smiled lazily. “Juno says she’s assembled a worthy crew of demigods. Show me. Entertain me, heroes of Olympus. Give me a reason to do more. Being a god has its privileges.” He popped his soda can top, and the crowd cheered.

“Lord Bacchus,” Nico mumbled.

Will did a double take. “Bacchus? As in-”

“Please don’t,” Bacchus said, holding up a hand. “I’ve had enough of the splitting headaches.”

Nico groaned and put a hand to his head. “What is going on?”

Piper’s shout of fear grabbed their attention. Will looked down hurriedly and saw Jason bleeding from a thin line down his chest. He had been kicked by one of the giants. To Will’s utter disgust, Bacchus just kept munching on a bag of Doritos.

“Will!” Nico hissed. He pointed up.

“What?” Will asked, then he followed Nico’s point.

A large shape was descending rapidly. The Argo II turned in the sky, presenting its port side, and green fire blazed from the ballista. Percy and Jason rolled away from the giants and into a trench just as an explosion rocked the Colosseum.

The Argo II extended its landing gear and settled on the arena floor. Leo stood at the helm, Hazel and Frank grinning at his side. Coach Hedge danced around the firing platform, pumping his fist in the air and yelling, “That’s what I’m talking about!”

Percy turned to the emperor’s box. “Well?” he yelled at Bacchus. “Was that entertaining enough for you, you winebreathed little—”

“No need for that.” Suddenly the god was standing right next to Percy in the arena. “I have decided you are worthy partners for this combat.”

“Partners?” Jason growled. “You did nothing!”

Bacchus walked to the edge of the lake. The water instantly drained, leaving an Otis-headed pile of mush. Bacchus picked his way to the bottom and looked up at the crowd. He raised his thyrsus.

The crowd jeered and hollered and pointed their thumbs down. Bacchus smacked Otis’s head with his pinecone staff, and the giant pile of Otismeal disintegrated completely. Bacchus climbed out of the lake and strutted over to Ephialtes, who was still lying spread-eagled, overcooked and smoking. Again, Bacchus raised his thyrsus. Bacchus tapped the giant on the nose, and Ephialtes crumbled to ashes.

He grinned at the demigods. “That, my friends, is a show! And of course I did something. I killed two giants!”

“Come on!” Will said, waving Piper and Nico to follow him. He helped Nico stumbled down to their friends. They reached the group just as Bacchus disappeared into a cloud of purple mist that smelled of grape juice.

“Nico!” Percy exclaimed. He rushed over to hug the son of Hades, ignoring Nico’s wince.

Will looked around. “Is it over? Are we going to get Annabeth now?”

Percy’s smile faded. “Bacchus said my voyage may be a little harder than I expect.”

“Oh gods,” Piper whispered in horror. Her hands flew to her mouth. “Percy, please don’t tell us that means what I think it means.”

Nico’s head swiveled between the two. “They know?”

“That you, Percy, and Annabeth time traveled?” Will asked. He snorted. “Yeah. We know.”

Coach Hedge trotted up to Percy, with Hazel, Frank, and Leo close behind. “Was that Dionysus?” Hedge asked. “I love that guy!”

“I hate you, Percy,” Leo muttered darkly. “What was that, huh? Setting us up to be followed by eidolons.”

“Setting you up to find all that Archimedes stuff,” Percy corrected. “I forgot you guys said eidolons showed up.” He bit his lip. “Annabeth’s still gone, then?”

“You said you know how to get there?” Leo asked.

Percy nodded. “Come on! We have to get there soon.”

Will climbed aboard the Argo II with a growing sense of dread. Percy and Annabeth were destined to fall into Tartarus in less than an hour. When they had joked and talked that morning, the impending fall had seemed light years away. Now, faced with the actual moment, Will could hardly breath.

“You okay?” Nico asked hesitantly.

Will swallowed. “Fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like having Will in here. Just wanted a lil chapter with his take on the giants battle.  
> And now for the chapter we have all been waiting for. With they or won't they Tartarus style.


	15. Impending (Hazel XV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Mark of Athena

“Emmanuel Building,” Percy said once the ship was ready to go. “That’s where we have to go.”

Hazel tried to ignore the waves of anxiety she could see practically rolling off Percy. She wasn’t doing so good herself.

Percy knelt next to Jason and Piper. “How’s the shoulder?”

Piper smiled. “It’ll heal. Both of you did great.”

Jason elbowed Percy. “Not a bad team, you and me.”

“Better than jousting in a Kansas cornfield,” Percy agreed.

Jason frowned. “Uh, what?”

Percy grinned. "Nevermind."

“There it is!” Leo cried, pointing to his monitor. “Frank, you’re amazing! I’m setting course.”

Frank hunched his shoulders. “I just read the name off the screen. Some Chinese tourist marked it on Google Maps.”

Leo grinned at the others. “He reads Chinese.”

“Just a tiny bit,” Frank said.

“How cool is that?”

“Guys!” Hazel snapped. She crossed her arms. “This is serious! We have until we get there to figure out what to do.”

“Please don’t do this, Percy,” Nico rasped. He was collapsed in a chair.

Hazel was stunned at how much her brother had changed in the few days he had been away. He’d always been pale since she knew him, but his skin looked even paler if possible. He was only in the jar for three or four days, so she couldn’t imagine how he looked in his, Percy, and Annabeth’s original timeline.

Percy sighed. “Nico. Unless you have a better plan-”

“Yes!” Nico shouted, but his voice cracked and faded. He doubled over and coughed. Will Solace handed him a cup of water. Once he was done, Nico cleared his throat. “I’ll go. I can do it, Percy. Last time I was stupid, but I know I could do it. I’ll figure out a way to get out, but-”

“You are not going,” Percy said firmly. “Nico, you’re an actual zombie right now. No way would you last a single second like this. Will would last longer than you.” He crossed his arms. “Annabeth and I know what we signed up for when we volunteered to fall again. And yeah, it’s going to really suck, but we can deal with that. We’re already dealing with that.” He smiled. “Hey, if you wanna help, tell the Hermes cabin to sacrifice some coolers or canned goods. We can pick those up when we stop by the altar.”

Nico leaned his chin on his sword which was balanced with the point on the floor between his feet. He gave Percy a sad look.

“Oh,” Percy grinned. “I almost forgot.” He pointed dramatically to the empty cup of water Nico had used. “I thought water wasn’t your type.”

Nico let out a soft laugh. “It’s not. It’s that thing I wish I really didn’t have to keep around.”

Percy looked insulted, but seconds later his started laughing with Nico too.

Hazel blinked. “Why are you two just laughing right now? And what is so funny? I don’t want to accept that Percy and Annabeth have to fall! So could you guys help me figure out a way to change this or not?”

“Nothing,” Percy said, immediately sobering up. “Hazel. Somebody has to go. We have to close the doors.”

“Why can’t we just close the mortal side?” Hazel asked desperately. “That must have some effect!”

“The Doors have to be controlled on both sides to close,” Nico said firmly. “It’s like a double seal. All seven of you working together could defeat Gaea’s forces on the mortal side, at the House of Hades. But unless you had a team fighting simultaneously on the Tartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory like Percy and Annabeth, then it wouldn’t do any good.”

Hazel bit her lip. No. There had to be something they were missing. She went over the lines from the prophecy.  _ Wisdom’s daughter walks alone / The Mark of Athena burns through Rome / Twins snuff out the angel’s light / Who holds the key to saviors’ plight / The giants’ bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail. _ Wisdom’s daughter was Annabeth who went on her own quest alone. The Mark of Athena was pretty obvious. The twins were obviously the two twin giants. The angel’s light was still up for debate on whether it meant Will or Nico. The saviors had to be Percy and Annabeth, and their plight was Tartarus. But the key was still unknown. The giants’ bane obviously meant the Athena Parthenos, and the last line was how Annabeth defeated the giant spider waiting for her. What was the key either Will or Nico had?

“Look, Annabeth’s smart,” Percy continued. “She’s going to cut the spider silk, so we won’t be dragged in this time. We talked about it, and we decided that we’re jumping on our own accord. No one’s dragging us in or anything. We want to do it ourselves.” His eyes turned hard. “All of you promise not to step in or do anything. Swear it.”

Nico made a small noise. “No.  _ Oath to keep with a final breath _ , Percy. Remember?”

Percy frowned. “You know what I mean. Don’t swear on the Styx, but just… please don’t do anything.”

Hazel felt empty as she promised not to step in. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned into Frank who pulled her close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely think Hazel would be the one who doesn't want to give up, and who wants to keep trying to figure out another way. You could argue Jason would be like that, but I think Jason is more of the throw himself in front of a train for someone rather than figure out another way.  
> Also, I realize that I'm posting this chapter minutes after the last and I had said it's the will they won't they Tartarus edition this chapter. Oops. I meant next chapter. Which shall be up shortly. Can't leave y'all on a cliff hanger like this.


	16. The Fall (Annabeth XVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections come from Mark of Athena

When the cavern exploded, Annabeth was ready. Well, slightly. It was a little earlier than she expected, and she  _ was _ a bit startled when the ceiling exploded and the cars started pouring down, but Annabeth was ready unlike before.

Chunks of asphalt as big as garage doors tumbled down, along with six or seven Italian cars. One would’ve crushed the Athena Parthenos, but the statue’s glowing aura acted like a force field, and the car bounced off. A bright red Fiat 500 slam into Arachne’s silk trap, punching through the cavern floor and disappearing with the Chinese Spidercuffs.

Annabeth set to work cutting the spider silk. She made sure that no strings that could pull her over were attached to her body.

“Annabeth!” Percy’s voice called.

“Here!” Annabeth shouted back, trying to keep the terror out of her voice. Her heart thumped rapidly. It was almost time.

Percy was next to her in a second. He laced his fingers in hers and squeezed her hand tightly before pulling her away from the pit and towards the rest of the crew.

“It’s okay,” he said. “We’re together. We’re going to be okay.”

Will was there supporting a tired looking Nico di Angelo. Annabeth almost smiled at the pair. Piper and Jason held hands and looked very solemn. Hazel couldn’t meet their eyes and just clutched Frank’s hand tight. Even Leo looked serious for once.

“You got everything you need?” Will managed, glancing at the backpack Annabeth still had on her back. He held out another one to Percy. “I made another one just… just in case you need it. Everything’s in a waterproof bag too.” He stopped speaking and blinked rapidly.

Nico pulled Percy and Annabeth into a hug. “Come back to us? I don’t think I could deal with all these guys on my own.” He gave them a watery smile. “Especially Leo. I haven’t seen him much since we came back you know and I haven’t gotten a chance to punch him. I’m looking for any excuse.”

“Hey!” Leo protested.

“That’s what you get when you make us think you were dead for almost two months, Valdez,” Nico fired back. He swallowed. “Just… how can we even think we might win this if you two don’t make it back?”

“We will,” Percy said firmly. He looked at Leo. “Can you get the statue loaded?”

Leo raised his hands. He made a finger picture frame around the Athena Parthenos like he was taking measurements. “Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something.”

The chamber groaned. The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side. Its head caught on one of Arachne’s support cables, but the marble foundation under the pedestal was crumbling. Nausea swelled in Annabeth’s chest. If the statue fell into the chasm, all her work would be for nothing. Their quest would fail.

“Secure it!” Annabeth cried. Her friends understood immediately.

“Zhang!” Leo cried. “Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone.”

Frank transformed into a giant eagle, and the two of them soared toward the ship.

Jason wrapped his arm around Piper. He turned to Percy and Annabeth. “We’ll see you in Epirus.” He summoned the wind and shot into the air.

“The floor won’t last,” Annabeth said to Hazel, Nico, and Will. “Get to the ladder.”

Hazel shot her a look, but allowed Will to push he towards the ladder. She climbed up and waited at the top.

Will helped Nico climb onto the ladder, but Nico’s strength was clearly not up to one hundred percent after a few days in the bronze jar. He made it a quarter of the way before stopping. Will was right behind him and moved to prevent Nico from falling.

Percy gripped Annabeth’s hand tighter. “It’ll be fine,” he muttered.

Looking up, she saw grappling lines shoot from the Argo II and wrap around the statue. One lassoed Athena’s neck like a noose. Leo shouted orders from the helm as Jason and Frank flew frantically from line to line, trying to secure them.

“The other side, Nico!” Percy called up to the son of Hades who was still on the ladder.

Nico’s pale face looked back at Percy. He nodded. “We’ll be there. You make sure you’re there too!”

On the deck of the Argo II, Hazel looked around wildly. “Help them!” she yelled to the sky as if trying to get the gods’ attention. “Please!”

Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth’s wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome.

“We’re staying together,” he promised. “You’re not getting away from me. Never again.”

“As long as we’re together,” she said, finishing the lines they had said so long ago in the other timeline. She looked up and saw Percy do the same. They saw the sunlight above—maybe the last sunlight they would ever see.

Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Leo, and Coach Hedge peered down at them from the deck of the Argo II. They’re faces screamed not to do it, but none of them said a word. Tears were running down Hazel’s face and her hands were together as if praying for the gods to do something. Jason looked like he was trying not to jump in after them while Piper looked like she was trying not to charmspeak them into changing their plan.

“Love you,” Percy murmured.

Annabeth swallowed back the fear in her throat. “Love you, too.”

Then they stepped up to the edge, and together, holding hands, they jumped and fell into the endless darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. You guys knew someone had to do it. The Doors gotta close. Also, the chapters are going to be getting a little more spaced out relative to the books starting now. Mark of Athena was like chapters 7-16 and the Lost Hero and Son of Neptune were the first 6 chapters. Chapters 17 or 18 through probably chapter 30 something will be House of Hades.  
> I'm excited to have this play out. I know I started off unsure about the idea at first, but I love it!
> 
> Sidenote: I really should be updating OUATT: Angels and Demons, but I hit a roadblock concerning the opening scene with the whole THEN and NOW and the music and all that.


	17. Aftermath (Leo XVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Mark of Athena

Leo was still in shock. Everything had happened so quickly. They had secured grappling lines to the Athena Parthenos and had pulled the statue onto the ship. Jason, Frank and him joined Piper, Hazel, and Coach Hedge on the deck. Will and Nico were still on the ladder.

Down below, Percy and Annabeth seemed to take in their faces as if they would never see them again. Then they walked right off to the edge of the chasm and jumped off. Almost as if the chasm was waiting for them to jump in, the rest of the cavern imploded and took the rest of the parking lot with it.

Nico told them not to bother looking, that they had tried in the previous timeline, but the crew of the Argo II was not convinced.

“Right now we need to focus on getting to Epirus,” Nico said, looking around at the crew. “You looked for them already and haven’t found them. I told you that you wouldn’t. What more do you need?”

“Tell me it’s not my fault,” Leo said instantly.

Okay, so it wasn’t fair to blame himself. Not completely anyway. Percy and Annabeth told them what happened long before Leo opened the stupid fortune cookie. But it felt like it was his fault.

He could almost hear Nemesis laughing.  _ I told you we could do business, Leo Valdez. _ He had opened the fortune cookie. He’d gotten the access code for the sphere and saved Frank and Hazel. But the sacrifice had been Percy and Annabeth. Leo was sure of it.

“Why would it be your fault?” Will Solace asked incredulously.

Leo wasn’t really sure about him. One day he had just shown up from the shadows, and apparently it was Nico di Angelo who had done that. And maybe Will was the secret answer to the prophecy, but the guy was just there. And he was too happy and cheerful.

“No,” Hazel insisted. “No, this is Gaea’s fault. It had nothing to do with you.”

Nico hesitated. “It’s no one’s fault. Percy and Annabeth didn’t have to jump. They chose to do this. If anyone is to blame, well, it’s not likely to be any of us.”

Leo wanted to believe that, but he couldn’t. They’d started this voyage with Leo messing up, almost firing on New Rome if Nico hadn’t realized Leo was possessed by an eidolon. They’d ended in old Rome with Leo breaking a cookie and paying a price much worse than an eye.

“Leo, listen to me.” Hazel gripped his hand. “I won’t allow you to take the blame. I couldn’t bear that after—after Sammy…” She choked up, but Leo knew what she meant. His bisabuelo had blamed himself for Hazel’s disappearance. Sammy had lived a good life, but he’d gone to his grave believing that he’d spent a cursed diamond and doomed the girl he loved.

Leo didn’t want to make Hazel miserable all over again, but this was different. True success requires sacrifice. Leo had chosen to break that cookie. Percy and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Look,” Nico snapped. “Percy and Annabeth are the most qualified to make it to the Doors of Death and get out safely. You can wallow in self-pity all you want, but Percy gave me a job and I intend to do it. I’m leading you guys to Epirus to the House of Hades. It’s up to us now to end this.” Nico twisted his silver skull ring. “Percy is the most powerful demigod I’ve ever met. No offense to you guys, but it’s true. If anybody can survive, he will, especially if he’s got Annabeth at his side. They’re going to find a way through Tartarus. They did it once before.”

“What was it like for them?” Piper asked timidly.

Nico had an unreadable expression. “They never talked about it. Honestly, no one would have known how bad it was for them if they hadn’t been forced to stay apart overnight. That’s why Annabeth stays in the Poseidon Cabin, you know.”

Leo’s mouth dropped open. His wasn’t the only one. Frank and Jason looked vaguely ill and disturbed. Hazel’s hands were clamped over her mouth, and Piper looked shocked. Will was practically in tears.

“Why would you let them go down there if you knew?” Frank whispered.

Nico didn’t meet their eyes. “I don’t think they would have forgiven me if I didn’t.” He stood abruptly. “I’m going to my room. Yes, to rest, Solace. I do voluntarily rest if I feel like I got run over by a herd of pegasi and then used as target practice.” He disappeared down the hall to the rooms.

“So we go to Epirus and meet them there,” Jason said, voice quivering slightly. “How will we be able to time this properly?”

Leo swallowed. “We must time it right. I mean, Percy and Annabeth escaped last time, right? So we had to have timed it right.”

“Nico will know what to do,” Will said confidently. “He made this trip last time obviously, so he knows exactly when you guys have to close the doors. When they get out, we have to be ready.”

“It won’t be easy,” Hazel said. “Gaea will throw everything she’s got at us to keep us from reaching Epirus.”

“What else is new?” Jason sighed.

Piper nodded. “We’ve got no choice. We have to seal the Doors of Death before we can stop the giants from raising Gaea. Otherwise her armies will never die. And we’ve got to hurry. The twins said something about a month deadline.”

“Ephialtes said Gaea would awaken in exactly one month,” Jason nodded.

Leo straightened. “We can do it.”

Everyone stared at him.

“The Archimedes sphere can upgrade the ship,” he said, hoping he was right. Why else would Percy have sent him there to get the sphere? “I’m going to study those ancient scrolls we got. There’s got to be all kinds of new weapons I can make. We’re going to hit Gaea’s armies with a whole new arsenal of hurt.”

At the prow of the ship, Festus creaked his jaw and blew fire defiantly.

Jason managed a smile. He clapped Leo on the shoulder. “Sounds like a plan, Admiral. You want to set the course?”

They kidded him, calling him Admiral, but for once Leo accepted the title. This was his ship. He hadn’t come this far to be stopped. They would find this House of Hades. They’d take the Doors of Death. And by the gods, if Leo had to design a grabber arm long enough to snatch Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus, then that’s what he would do. Nemesis wanted him to wreak vengeance on Gaea? Leo would be happy to oblige. He was going to make Gaea sorry she had ever messed with Leo Valdez.

“Yeah.” He took one last look at the cityscape of Rome, turning blood red in the sunset. “Festus, raise the sails. We’ve got some friends to save.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this concludes the Mark of Athena section of the story. Coming up next... The House of Hades!
> 
> __
> 
> _Wisdom's daughter walks alone_
> 
> __
> 
> _The Mark of Athena burns through Rome_
> 
> __
> 
> _Twins snuff out the angel's light_
> 
> __
> 
> _Who holds the key to saviors' plight_
> 
> __
> 
> _The giants bane stands gold and pale_
> 
> __
> 
> _Won through pain from a woven jail_
> 
> Think on that. Until the next update! 


	18. In the Pit (Percy XVIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

As they fell, Percy couldn’t help but think back on the first time this happened.

The first fall into Tartarus was probably the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to Percy. Quite possibly the only time he had ever really felt like he might not make it out of this one alive.

It had been a long fall. He vaguely recalled Annabeth once sharing her theory that it had actually taken the nine days some Greek dude Hesiod had theorized. It felt like that could be true, but given that time also worked differently in the Underworld…

Nico had given his opinion too. He didn’t think it had taken more than a day for them to reach the bottom. Well, more than a day to Percy and Annabeth. For the rest of the crew of the Argo II, Nico said it probably was more like nine days.

So that was a pleasant thought.

Now the second time he was making this trip, Percy found that he wasn’t quite as terrified of the falling. Rather, he was more so trembling at the thought of being in that place again.

Annabeth cut off his train of thought by pulling him closer. Wind whistled in their ears. The air grew hotter and damper, as if they were plummeting into the throat of a massive dragon. She said something Percy couldn’t quite hear, nor could he attempt to read her lips since they were still in total darkness. But he felt her lips at his ear, and hoped she didn’t say something like,  _ Did you remember to pack a parachute? _ Because Percy didn’t even know what he would say to that. Now that he brought it up, a parachute seemed like a really good idea.

The darkness started to fade. Percy could just barely make out Annabeth in the low red tinged light. And it was almost unbearably hot. The air smelled like it had turned to sulphur. Percy shivered.

Then the chute opened up into a huge cavern that was Tartarus. Red clouds hung in the air like vaporized blood. The landscape was rocky black plains, punctuated by jagged mountains and fiery chasms. To the left, the ground dropped away in a series of cliffs, like colossal steps leading deeper into the abyss. Directly below them was the glittering black liquid of a river of the Underworld. Percy sincerely hoped it was the Cocytus. Misery he would take any day over the Lethe or Acheron.

This was what he had been practicing for. While Nico would often shadow travel for small things in order to build up his strength, Percy tried to manipulate water movement everyday for at least half the day to build up his own strength for this particular moment.

He shouted defiantly and felt a tug in his gut. The river water exploded towards them and suddenly they were engulfed in it.

The freezing water shocked them again. The wailing voices floated into their ears, and Percy tried his hardest not to pay attention to them.

_ What’s the point of struggling? _ they told him.  _ You’re dead anyway. You’ll never leave this place. _

Percy gripped Annabeth’s hand and together they kicked upwards and broke the surface.

“Land,” was all she said.

Land was a really loose term to describe what the ground of Tartarus was. The beach wasn’t sand. It was jagged black-glass chips that were going to be embedded in their shoes and in their skin if they weren’t careful.

It was hard to fight the water’s power, but somehow they made it to the shoreline and pulled themselves out of the misery water.

Percy took off his backpack and unzipped it, teeth chattering. “W-w-will should have p-p-packed-d-d a ch-change of clothes f-for us,” he shivered. “T-t-told him about-t-t the w-w-wat-t-ter.” He handed his girlfriend a Ziploc bag that had a change of clothes for her.

Annabeth took it gratefully. They changed out of the soaking wet clothes and into the dry ones.

“We’re back,” Annabeth said after they stood on the beach in silence for a minute.

Percy nodded. “Back. We can do it though, right? I mean, we did it before…” he trailed off. They had only managed to do it before, thanks to the help of Bob and Damasen.

“We can do it.” Annabeth cast a wary look at the blue car that had smashed into Arachne. “We have to get to the Phlegethon.”

“Got your dagger?” Percy asked.

Annabeth nodded. “I secured it. Why?”

Percy pulled out a bronze dagger from the backpacks. “Guess Will packed us some extra weapons.” He poked the bag that seemed too small to fit all this. “Do you think he had like Lou Ellen put a spell on these? It reminds me of that bag from Harry Potter.”

“Only you would talk about Harry Potter while we’re in Tartarus, Percy,” Annabeth said shaking her head. “He pack any food?”

Percy held up a can of green beans. “Canned goods, yep. Can opener too.” He was impressed with the son of Apollo. “I  _ guess _ I can see why Nico likes him so much better than me.” He glanced at the blue car. “Too much to hope for that she died this time, huh?”

Under the crushed hood lay the tattered, glistening remains of a giant silk cocoon – the trap that Annabeth had tricked Arachne into weaving. It was unmistakably empty. Slash marks in the sand made a trail downriver … as if something heavy, with multiple legs, had scuttled into the darkness.

“At least we know monsters can still be killed down here,” Percy pointed out cheerfully. He zipped up his backpack and slung it back over his shoulders. “Get going to the Phlegethon. We won’t last very long if we don’t get moving there.”

Annabeth nodded. “Right. Let’s go drink some fire.” She snorted. “Gods this is stupid, Percy. How crazy are we to try and go through Tartarus twice?”

“Completely crazy,” Percy said with a lopsided smile.

“Stupidly dumb idea.”

“Doing dumb things is kinda what we do,” Percy shrugged. “Like a demigod motto or something.”

They laced their fingers together, then set off towards a glow in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, that last line is based off a meme I found that was like: "Demigods: What a stupid idea. Do it."
> 
> Anyway, the journey begins!


	19. Beware (Nico XIX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

His sister was pretty shaken when she came back from the horse ride. Of course, Nico knew  _ who _ she had just met and that Hecate told Hazel she had to learn how to control the Mist, but all the same, he looked at her worriedly.

“What happened?” Leo demanded.

Hazel’s hands were clenched and she was shaking ever so slightly. She glanced over the rail of the ship.

“Hazel?” Nico asked. Then he surged forward to catch her as her knees buckled. Leo helped him get Hazel to the steps of the foredeck.

“I met Hecate,” Hazel managed.

Nico inhaled sharply. “Hecate. Right.” The dead goddess whose death was followed by Frank Zhang’s. Two deaths that weighed heavily on his sister and lead to her own death mere moments later.

“You knew about this?” Leo asked.

“Yes,” Nico rolled his eyes. “What part of me being from the future don’t you understand? It’s just… Hecate was the first goddess we lost. Well, that we knew of anyway. The minor gods and goddesses might have been killed earlier, but… Hecate was a shock.”

Leo’s eyes flitted away from Nico. Not that the son of Hades blamed him. He knew he was already strange to be around with the whole ‘death vibe’ thing, but now having admitted to being a time traveler, well, it certainly didn’t help his case.

Hazel interrupted the awkward silence to explain what Hecate had said.

“Hey, look,” Nico said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m really sorry about this. I swear I wouldn’t have let you go if it wasn’t something you had to do.”

“The Mist, Nico?” Hazel snapped. “I’m supposed to be able to control the Mist? Isn’t it enough that I curse everything I touch? Isn’t it enough that children of Pluto are feared already?” She glared at her hands. “How in dad’s name am I supposed to learn to control the Mist?”

Nico waited patiently for her to finish her rant. “You learned last time. I believe in you. And… and if people don’t like you because of who your father is or what you can do, then they aren’t worth your time. It took me a while to learn that too.” He shuffled uncomfortably. “The Argo II crew are your friends. They… they’re worth your time.”

Leo looked at Nico oddly. “Wow, di Angelo. I’m actually touched you think so highly of us.”

“I can take it back,” Nico said with a thin smile. “Kinda miss having people who avoid me.”

“Why would you miss  _ that _ ?” Leo gaped in astonishment.

Nico swallowed. “Not enough people left  _ to  _ hate me.”

“Well, you’re all sunshine and roses,” Leo muttered. He cleared his throat. “Okay, well, what if Hecate is tricking us? I know this happened before for you, Nico, but the whole thing seems a little off to me.”

Hazel shook her head. “If it was a trap, I think Hecate would’ve made the northern route sound tempting. Believe me, she didn’t.”

Leo pulled a calculator out of his tool belt and punched in some numbers. “That’s … something like three hundred miles out of our way to get to Venice. Then we’d have to backtrack down the Adriatic. And you said something about baloney dwarfs?”

“Dwarfs in Bologna,” Hazel said. “I guess Bologna is a city. But why we have to find dwarfs there … I have no idea. Some sort of treasure to help us with the quest.”

Nico groaned. “Oh Styx. I hated those dwarves.” He sighed. “But we  _ do _ have to go there. It’s our best option. We have to make up for lost time, travel as fast as we can. Percy and Annabeth’s lives definitely depend on it.”

“Fast?” Leo grinned. “I can do fast.”

“I know you can,” Nico muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, “I’m heading back to my room.”

His room was decent. Annabeth, bless her, had made sure to accommodate for everything each of them needed. Percy and Annabeth needed each other, hence the shared room. Nico needed light to filter into his room so he could sleep during the day and keep most of the nightmares at bay. Unfortunately, it didn’t keep all the dreams away.

.

_ They had been sending out teams to search for survivors. Some days they found the odd mortal, scared and alone. Some days they found dead bodies. Some days they found no one. The last two options seemed to be all too common. _

_ “So basically, the task of rebuilding the world falls to us hundred or so survivors.” _

_ Nico whirled around and glared at his boyfriend. “Good gods, Will! Don’t do that.” _

_ Will grinned. “I don’t understand how you can bat away any monster that sneaks up on you without flinching, but when  _ I _ sneak up on you, you practically jump a million feet into the air.” _

_ “I’m going back to Camp,” Nico said abruptly. “I know Leo said it was pretty much gone, but I need to check.” I need to see if any of the things there are salvageable, was the unsaid message. _

_ Will’s smile slipped. “I’ll go with you.” _

_ They rode down the elevator from Olympus to the first floor of the Empire State Building in silence. Percy had practically destroyed the music system a few days ago. Nico didn’t blame him, Apollo’s songs were as awful as his poems, but Nico had a feeling that Percy probably destroyed the system out of anger and mourning rather than dislike of the music. _

_ Nico summoned Jules-Albert when they exited the building. He followed Will into the backseat and slouched into his seat. _

_ “What do you think it will look like?” Will finally asked as they passed a lopsided Delphi Strawberry Farms sign. _

_ Nico was silent for a moment. Then he said, “I don’t know.” _

_ It was awful. Nico and Will stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill in horror and shock. Thalia’s tree was dead and the magical barrier was gone. The camp the tree once protected was leveled and full of dirt and mud. _

_ Nico touched the trunk of the pine tree as he passed. “Goodbye, Thalia,” he whispered. He felt Will grip his hand tight. _

_ Nico lead Will to the spot where the Hades cabin use to be. _

_ “Left something behind?” Will asked quietly. _

_ Nico blinked and swallowed down the lump in his throat. “My… my Hades figurine. From Mythomagic. My sister got it for me. I just kinda hoped that It would still be here.” He shook his head. “I want to check the rest of the cabins and Bunker 9. Try and give people some of their stuff back.” _

_ “Nico-” _

_ “And there might be some stuff we can use to fix all-” _

_ “Nico!” Will shouted. _

_ Nico flinched and looked at him. _

_ “Don’t do this to yourself. There was nothing any of us could have done,” Will said softly. “We’ll check for stuff okay? But don’t get worked up over this.” _

_ There were no cabins in sight. In the spot where the Demeter cabin once was, a few flowers had started to grow. In the spot where the Poseidon cabin once was, a small puddle had formed which probably would one day turn into a large pond or lake. In the spot where the Hecate cabin once was, Nico could make out the faintest trace of the Mist lingering. In the spot where the Dionysus cabin once was, grape vines started growing. _

_ “Oh gods,” Will said as they wandered across the grounds. “It’s really gone.” _

_ Nico swallowed. “I… I was going to stay, you know. Just because all these heroes insist on dying heroic deaths and someone has to do all the proper stuff. And… and it looks - looked - like a vampire designed the Hades cabin, so I was going to fix it up and stuff.” He looked at the dirt. “I just wish we could have stopped her sooner. I mean, there’s nobody left! How many people use to be on the planet? Like 6.9 billion people. Now… now there’s maybe a few thousand? It’s not fair.” _

_ “In my experience, life isn’t fair,” Will philosophize. “Especially to demigods. Mostly, I think life just screws us over when it gets bored. My mom is dead. My dad is missing, probably dead. My whole cabin of siblings is dead. Leo died, came back to life, only to die again. Permanently this time. Jason died and Piper’s a mess. Percy and Annabeth can barely function without the other right next to them.” _

_ “I saved Percy right here,” Nico said abruptly. “Also probably kinda freaked him out. Banished an army of skeleton warriors that followed him. Cracked the dining pavilion floor.” _

_ “I wondered what happened to make that crack,” Will said with a half-hearted smile. “I always found it interesting. My dad claimed me just a few feet over, you know. It was about a year before you came to camp I think. It was your average ‘camper gets mad and throws the sharpest thing they can find’ type of situation. Didn’t even think, I just… went over and started bandaging the wound. Dad claimed me as soon as I finished. I like to believe my dad was watching and that he was proud.” _

_ “He was,” Nico agreed. “I mean, you’re the best doctor I’ve met. Well, best uncertified doctor.” _

_ “I was almost certified,” Will defended himself. “Chiron let me use a computer to take online classes. I made it halfway there before… you know.” _

_ The Titan War. The Giant War. Before everything went to Hades. _

_ Will blinked and stared into Nico’s eyes. “Beware the House of Hades,” he said in the voice of Hades. _

_ Nico started. “Will-” _

.

He woke up, mouth opened in a silent scream. Nico detangeled himself from his sheets and glanced out the window. Dusk had fallen probably hours ago. He shuffled out of his room and into the mess hall. Jason was snoring at the table.

“Hi, Nico,” a sleepy Will greeted him.

Nico barely acknowledged him. He slumped into a seat across from Jason.

Jason jolted awake. “Are we there?” he asked.

“Few more hours,” Will answered. “Leo said we should be there by morning. Well, I think Coach Hedge is steering, but Leo set the course and everything.”

“I forgot something,” Nico yawned. “I’m s’posed to tell you guys about the House of Hades and stuff.”

“Did you get any sleep?” Will asked with raised eyebrows.

“What time is it?”

Will checked his watch. “Uh, if I changed this right, it should be like two in the morning.”

“I got eight hours,” Nico said slowly, trying to do the math in his head. “I think.”

“What’s this with the House of Hades?” Jason asked.

Nico shook his head. “I’d rather tell the whole group. I just… it was a dream and… well, Will and I were at Camp Half-Blood, from the future. We went to see if there was anything we could, well, salvage. Will kinda looked at me and told me to beware the House of Hades.”

Will looked surprisingly unconcerned that he apparently warned Nico. “I’m going to guess that I didn’t actually say that when we went to Camp.”

“No,” Nico said. His face felt hot. “You never said that.”  _ I completely lost it actually. _ “But it wasn’t you who said it. It was my father’s voice.”

Jason looked wide awake. “So Hades is warning you then?”

“I don’t know,” Nico shrugged. “With dreams… everything  _ could be  _ symbolic in some way. It could be my father’s voice because my subconsciousness wanted to hear him, or because he actually is warning me. Even that memory of the whole Camp under the mud and dirt could mean a number of different things. Why did I have that memory over any other?”

Will groaned. “Ugh, Nico. Now I’m going to start trying to interpret my dreams. I gotta find all the hidden symbolism.”

“Not  _ all _ dreams are symbolic,” Nico rolled his eyes. “Sometimes what you see during the day triggers a dream. Like I see Camp, I have a dream about Camp.”

“That sounds symbolic.”

“Clovis explains it better.”

“Can we go back to the whole Hades warning Nico thing?” Jason interrupted. “Why do you need to beware the House of Hades?”

Nico glanced at him. “I don’t know.”


	20. Certain Death Awaits (Will XX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Will was glad when morning finally came and Nico could tell them what he had been waiting since two in the morning to say.

“Nico said he has to tell us about the House of Hades,” Jason announced at breakfast. “Nico?”

Nico cleared his throat. “I had a dream last night that reminded me. My… my father’s voice said, ‘Beware the House of Hades.’ I’m not sure what he means.” Nico’s eyes were still on the table in front of him. “In ancient times, the House of Hades was a major site for Greek pilgrims. They would come to speak with the dead and honor their ancestors.”

“Sounds like Día de los Muertos,” Leo said. “My Aunt Rosa took that stuff seriously.”

Frank grunted. “Chinese have that, too – ancestor worship, sweeping the graves in the springtime.” He glanced at Leo. “Your Aunt Rosa would’ve got along with my grandmother.”

“A lot of cultures have something like that,” Nico acknowledged. “But for the Greeks, the House of Hades was open year round. If you got far enough, you could actually speak to ghosts. Basically, you’d have to work your way through different levels of tunnels, leaving offerings and drinking special potions –”

“Special potions,” Leo muttered. “Yum.”

“Uh, Nico,” Will cut in hesitantly. “Not to be a Debbie Downer, but, uh, how much of that did you guys have to go through last time?”

Nico winced. “Uh, I think it was probably worse.”

“Just what we need,” Leo grumbled. “Worse.”

Jason sighed. “Nico, go on.”

“The pilgrims believed that each level of the temple brought you closer to the Underworld, until the dead would appear before you. If they were pleased with your offerings, they would answer your questions, maybe even tell you the future.”

Frank tapped his mug of hot chocolate. “And if the spirits weren’t pleased?”

“Some pilgrims found nothing,” Nico said. “Some went insane or died after leaving the temple.  Others lost their way in the tunnels and were never seen again.”

“Is there any good news?” Will asked bluntly. To be honest, the whole quest was terrifying him. He’d been gone from Camp for weeks to help out the Seven with their dangerous quest to defeat Gaea and the giants. The most dangerous thing Will had ever done was fight subparly in the Titan War, and even then, he was mostly just healing people.

“Well, if we do everything right, we’ll get Percy and Annabeth back safely and close the Doors of Death,” Nico said.

“How?” Hazel asked miserably. “How can we possibly do this?”

“When we reach the House of Hades we have to drink poison first,” Nico said with a frown. He squinted as if trying to recall something. “Uh, we ate barley cakes before so we didn’t die.”

“Poison,” Will muttered.

“We’ll have to hurry though,” Nico added. “The Doors open every twelve minutes. That’s how long it takes to ride up the elevator. Every time they open, they cause the building to become unstable. While down there, you have to be alert too. You’ll probably hear the voices of your ancestors. And, um,” Nico hesitated, “Hazel and Leo were the only ones to make it to the Doors.”

Will had a bad taste in his mouth that he was positive was not from the pancakes he had been eating. “So you don’t know what happens after that?”

Nico twisted his skull ring. “Names have power, Will. There’s a sorceress waiting for Hazel. The giant Clytius is there too. The anti-Hecate.”

“Dark dude,” Leo guessed. “Wrapped in shadows? I had a dream too. Super weird lady wanted me to jump off a cliff or go into this cave.”

Will frowned. “I should know this. Who is she?”

“The mother of Percy’s first monster,” Nico answered evasively. “Like I said. Names have power. Especially her name.” Will was willing to bet that he was the only one here who actually understood that. Percy’s first monster had been half-man, half-bull. It’s mother tricked into falling in love with a bull.

Jason pushed away his plate of pancakes. “So the giant is Clytius. I suppose he’ll be waiting for us, guarding the Doors of Death.”

“And the woman is my problem,” Hazel added. “Hecate mentioned her. She said this woman is a witch who can’t be defeated except by me, using magic.”

“Do you know magic?” Leo asked.

“Not yet.”

“She will,” Nico said confidently.

Leo raised a hand. “Uh, about this giant? Gaea said he was this void that consumes all magic and the cold that consumes all fire and something about silence. How is this witch even able to use her magic? How will  _ Hazel _ be able to use magic?”

Nico frowned. “I don’t know. We never really got the chance to go over it. I… Percy and Annabeth needed help, Reyna arrived not long after so me, her, and Coach Hedge could shadow travel the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. I just… I had to get out of there quickly.” His eyes flitted in Jason’s direction and then towards Percy’s empty seat.

Will raised his eyebrows. “Uh huh. I guess I kinda forgot how you use to run from everything. I guess since you got better in the future, I never really got the chance to see it.”

Nico ran his hands through his hair. “Well, not necessarily  _ better _ , but I know I have friends now. And I did confront that particular issue with Percy, so… we’re good now.” He wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes.

“Well,” Jason said, cutting through the silence, “if Hecate believes Hazel can defeat this sorceress, then so do I.” He gave them all a lopsided grin. “I guess it helps that Nico can pretty much confirm this one hundred percent.”

“What if we don’t get there at the same time as Percy and Annabeth?” Frank asked.

Will’s stomach clenched as he saw a shadow pass over Nico’s face.

“There’s a button we’ll have to press to open the doors,” Nico finally said. “If it’s not them, then we kill whatever monsters come out.” He let out a breath. “Leo, how long til Epirus?”

“Right,” Leo said. “I’m estimating four or five days to arrive at Epirus, assuming no delays for, you know, monster attacks and stuff.”

Jason smiled sourly. “Yeah. Those never happen.”

Leo looked at Hazel. “Hecate told you that Gaea was planning her big Wake Up party on August  first, right? The Feast of Whatever?”

“Spes,” Hazel said. “The goddess of hope.”

Jason turned his fork. “Theoretically, that leaves us enough time. It’s only July fifth. We should be able to close the Doors of Death, then find the giants’ HQ and stop them from waking Gaea before August first.” He paused. “Uh, you know, as long as we don’t do whatever we did in the future.”

“Right,” Nico agreed.

Frank set down his pancake roll like it suddenly didn’t taste so good. “It’s July fifth. Oh, jeez, I  hadn’t even thought of that …”

“Hey, man, it’s cool,” Leo said. “You’re Canadian, right? I didn’t expect you to get me an Independence Day present or anything … unless you wanted to.”

“It’s not that. My grandmother … she always told me that seven was an unlucky number. It was a ghost number. She didn’t like it when I told her there would be seven demigods on our quest. And July is the seventh month.”

“Thank you for pointing that out when we have actual proof that we all suffer a tragic fate,” Will deadpanned.

Nico looked thoughtful. “Huh. That’s true. And I mean, the whole thing with three per quest. Of the Seven, only Percy, Annabeth, and Piper survive.”

Will glared at him. “You aren’t helping! That was like, so not helpful.” He crossed his arms. “You should have said, like, ‘Oh no, that’s just a coincidence, Frank,’ not confirm exactly what we all don’t want to think about.”

“Perché mi piaci?” Nico muttered darkly. He let out a long sigh. “It’s reality. And I just realized that myself. Frank said this before, you know.”

“Back in China,” Frank said, “in the old days, people called the seventh month the ghost month. That’s when the spirit world and the human world were closest. The living and the dead could go back and forth. Tell me it’s a coincidence we’re searching for the Doors of Death during the ghost month.”

Will held his breath, but no one said anything.

Jason pressed his hands against the arms of his chair. “Let’s focus on the things we can deal with. We’re getting close to Bologna. Maybe we’ll get more answers once we find these dwarfs that Hecate –”

The ship lurched as if it had hit an iceberg. Leo’s breakfast plate slid across the table. Nico fell

backwards out of his chair and banged his head against the sideboard. He collapsed on the floor, with a dozen magic goblets and platters crashing down on top of him.

“Nico!” Will shouted.

“What –?” Frank tried to stand, but the ship pitched in the other direction. He stumbled into the  table and went face-first into Leo’s plate of scrambled eggs.

“Di immortales!” Nico shouted. “Those dwarves. I forgot about the dwarves!”

“Look!” Jason pointed at the walls. The images of Camp Half-Blood were flickering and changing.

“Not possible,” Leo murmured.

Will decided that if they made it out of this relatively unharmed, he would shake Nico upside down until all the information about the future of this quest poured out of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I died laughing when I read the title of this chapter. I had forgotten I called it "Certain Death Awaits."
> 
> Anyways,  
> Translations:  
> Perché mi piaci? --> Why do I like you?
> 
> Having read probably to many Solangelo fics, I have now adopted the "Nico speaks short Italian phrases when he doesn't want anyone to know what he said" thing.


	21. Regrets Collect Like Old Friends (Percy XXI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Percy was beginning to regret not thinking more about Tartarus while he had the chance. Sure, he and Annabeth were much more prepared than they were the first time. Afterall, their foresight had given Will Solace the opportunity to pack bags of nonperishable food, ambrosia, weapons, water bottles, and duct tape. All essential items for demigods.

Kelli was, well… Kelli was a minor road bump for them. She and the other empousai were taken care of relatively quickly. It was just the whole being back. In Tartarus. Without a concrete plan.

The landscape around them was a bleak ash-grey plain bristling with black trees, like insect hair. The ground was pocked with blisters. Every once in a while, a bubble would swell and burst, disgorging a monster like a larva from an egg.

All the newly formed monsters were crawling and hobbling in the same direction – towards a bank of black fog that swallowed the horizon like a storm front. The Phlegethon flowed in the same direction until about halfway across the plain, where it met another river of black water – maybe the Cocytus? The two floods combined in a steaming, boiling cataract and flowed on as one towards the black fog. Of course, that was exactly where they had to go to reach the Doors of Death.

“We could look for Luke’s shoes,” Annabeth suggested. “We never looked last time. It would certainly make things easier.”

Percy winced. “No way. Remember the  _ arai _ ?” he asked, gesturing to the winged shapes circling the Pit. He glanced around and shivered. “I feel too exposed. Last time we got ambushed by Kelli. I mean, we took care of that problem, but we still have to cross this open plane.”

They had made it down the steep cliff face, but had paused at the bottom, hidden in the shadows of the jagged rocks.

“Are you going to call him?”

Percy was silent. He  _ did _ want to call Bob. Bob had helped him and Annabeth in Tartarus once before. But he  _ didn’t _ want to trap Bob in Tartarus  _ again _ . “I… I’ve been tempted to,” he admitted. “But, I don’t want him to be trapped again. It… it wasn’t fair.”

Annabeth nodded along. “Then we need a plan. One that doesn’t involve me staying behind to hold the button or you staying behind to hold the button. We’re both going or we’re both staying. No contest.” She leaned against the cliff face, and Percy had to try not to remind himself that they were currently chilling on the body of Tartarus.

“Athena always has a plan,” Percy grinned. “Remember that’s what you said to me when you sent me to get pulverized by Clarisse?”

Annabeth snorted. “I’ve exhausted many plans in my head, Seaweed Brain. None of them are good.” She sighed. “I even thought about closing the Doors on our side and then burning ourselves in the Hermes shrine to see if we end up at Camp.”

“That’s a terrible idea. Just because it worked with a napkin doesn’t mean it works with humans.”

“That’s why I said it was a bad idea, Percy.”

“We could ask, uh, Luke’s ex-friend how to get out,” Percy suggested carefully.

Annabeth gave him an unimpressed look. “That also occured to me, but I don’t think your grandfather would be very receptive to the idea of helping the two people who were instrumental in turning Luke against him, costing him the victory. Not to mention, if he is conscious enough to help us, I think he might try to kill us first then ask questions later.”

“Fair enough,” Percy grumbled.

“Let’s just keep walking,” Annabeth said nervously. “We can’t waste too much time, and… well, we can always brainstorm on the way.”

Ahead of them stretched miles of wasteland, bubbling with monstrous larvae and big insect-hair trees. To their right, the Phlegethon split into branches that etched the plain, widening into a delta of smoke and fire. To the north, along the main route of the river, the ground was riddled with cave entrances. Here and there, spires of rock jutted up like exclamation points.

About a hundred yards ahead of them, a blister burst on the ground. A monster clawed its way out … a glistening telkhine with slick fur, a seal-like body and stunted human limbs. It managed to crawl a few yards before something shot out of the nearest cave, so fast that Percy could only register a dark green reptilian head. The monster snatched the squealing telkhine in its jaws and dragged it into the darkness. Reborn in Tartarus for two seconds, only to be eaten. Percy wondered if that telkhine would pop up in some other place in Tartarus, and how long it would take to re-form.

He swallowed down the sour taste of firewater. “Oh, yeah. This’ll be fun.”

.

They were almost to the shrine when the monster appeared. Annabeth and Percy had swords drawn and at it’s throat before it could blink.

“Please don’t kill me!” she shrieked. “I was sent for you!”

Percy blinked and his sword arm wavered. “You what?”

“I was sent to find you,” she said hurriedly. “By Hecate. She sent me to find you.”

“Who are you and why should we believe you?” Annabeth asked coldly. Her sword didn’t waver Percy noticed with slight embarrassment.

The girl, empousa actually, Percy corrected himself, looked at them defiantly. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me. But what I say is true. My mistress sent me to find two demigods in Tartarus. I dared not approach you too soon after you took care of Kelli and her gang.” She crossed her arms. “My name is Cassidy. I will lead you to the Doors of Death. That is why you’re here, right? To close the Doors?”

“No,” Percy said quickly. “No. I… I mean, yes. We are trying to close the Doors, but no way are we letting you take us there.”

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Please tell me, Percy Jackson, how skilled in manipulating the Mist are  _ you _ because I am quite gifted. After all, I learned from the goddess of the Mist herself.” She looked at Percy unimpressed. “I can disguise you on your journey.”

Annabeth cast a look at Percy. Her eyes seemed to ask if he thought they could trust her. Percy glanced between Annabeth and Cassidy. He chewed his lip. It would be a risk, but if Hecate herself had actually sent Cassidy to help…

“Say we believe you,” Percy began, “why are you helping us?”

Cassidy’s lips twitched. “Hecate is against Gaea, correct? Therefore, I as her servant am against Gaea. If that calls for helping two half-bloods, then so be it.” She scowled. “A victory for Gaea would not be very beneficial for empousai. But above all else, Hecate commands this, and I am loyal to her.” She looked around. “Now. Where are we headed? You seemed to have a destination in mind before I arrived.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Cassidy's character isn't random. It's more of a nod to my unpublished WIP stories. So she's there for me I guess. I dunno. It should make more sense eventually.  
> But on that note. Hecate is on the gods side, so obviously her servants would also be on that side. The loyal ones anyway. So I think that Hecate would have offered help for Percy and Annabeth to reach and close the Doors since she's choosing Hazel as one of her favorites and given Hazel the mission to defeat the sorceress and close the Doors.  
> Also, if you guys notice any mistakes I made, I'll just say this. I'm working PDF file by PDF file (literally I copy the chapter into google docs and then write the chapter I publish as I read the file). I haven't actually read these books in a few years, so if I forgot some plot points, let me know so I can fix them. Thanks!


	22. Mythomagic Helps (Nico XXII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

“What are they?” Hazel asked.

Nico peered over the side of the Argo II. “Oh. Yeah, you should definitely avoid breathing the gas these things spew. Katoblepones. Means down-looker. Called that because they’re always looking down.” He flushed a light pink. “Uh, I use to play Mythomagic when I was younger.”

“Two or three years ago is not ‘younger,’” Will teased.

Nico glared. “Anyway. The katobleps was one of the monster cards.”

Frank blinked. “I played Mythomagic. I never saw that card.”

“It was in the Africanus Extreme expansion deck.”

“Oh.”

Will sniggered. “So now Nico has a fellow Mythomagic player to geek out with?”

“Shut up!” Nico hissed. His face felt very hot and he was sure it would be bright red if he looked in a mirror. “I don’t play anymore. I…” Suddenly he felt very ashamed and he trailed off.

“What?” Will asked, face losing it’s laughter. “Nico?”

“I set all my cards on fire and smashed all my figurines,” Nico finally admitted. “Except my Hades figurine. Bianca got it for me.”

Will and Hazel were the only two who knew about Bianca. It just hadn’t come up with the rest of the crew, and to be honest, Bianca’s death was no longer dominating much of Nico’s thoughts. Not since coming back in time.

“Bad break up?” Leo snickered.

Nico’s eyes widened. “What? Ew, no way, Valdez. Bianca was my  _ sister _ . I… I was really, unfairly, mad at Percy when he told me she died.”

“Believe it or not, he was actually a very hyper ten year old,” Will inputted. “I hardly recognized him when he came back for the Battle of the Labyrinth and the Battle of Manhattan.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nico demanded.

Will grinned. “It means you used to be super excited and annoying, then you had a temper tantrum and came back looking like all,” he gestured at Nico, “that.”

“All this?” Nico raised an eyebrow. “I’m the son of Hades, the Ghost King. What else am I supposed to look like? You? No thanks,  _ tesoro _ ,” he rolled his eyes, then froze. “Uh, sorry. It’s just something I’m used to. Using Italian. Annoys you since you don’t speak it.” Nico internally winced at how terrible that excuse sounded. And… yep. He definitely saw Jason giving Nico a suspicious look and he definitely saw those stormy blue eyes dart in Will’s direction.

Jason grunted. “The mortals think they’re stray dogs,” he said as if hearing Nico’s prayers to change the subject.

“Or pets roaming around,” Piper said. “My dad shot a film in Venice once. I remember him telling me there were dogs everywhere. Venetians love dogs.”

“Are they harmless?” Leo asked weakly.

Nico snorted. “No. Last time, Hazel inhaled some of that crap and…” he winced. “Uh, look. Frank, Hazel, and I will go, just…” he sighed and looked at Frank. “Whatever you do, don’t mention that Hazel and I are children of Hades or Pluto or anything. I hate nature gods and goddesses.”

Leo pulled the leather-bound manual from underneath his arm. He’d slapped a sticky note on the cover with the address the dwarfs in Bologna had given him. Nico was still not forgiven for neglecting to mention the dwarves.

“La Casa Nera,” he read. “Calle Frezzeria.”

“The Black House,” Nico translated. “Calle Frezzeria is the street.”

“You speak Italian?” Frank asked.

Nico glanced at him. “I lived in Italy until World War II broke out when I was like eight, so yeah, I speak Italian.” He hid a smile as he watched the rest of the Argo II tried to figure out what he said. “Anyway, I know the way to the house and Frank has to come with. Hazel, if you don’t want to go-”

“I’ll go,” Hazel said quickly. “Just don’t let me get poisoned.”

“Who exactly is the owner of this book?” Frank asked faintly.

Nico grimaced. “He’s an old friend of Demeter’s. He, uh, helped her when she was looking for Persephone when my dad, uh, kidnapped her.” He patted Frank’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He has no problems with Ares or Mars. At least, I don’t think he does. I don’t really remember the whole thing. I was… preoccupied being corn.” He wrinkled his nose. “I hate nature gods.”

Leo patted Frank on the shoulder and handed him the leather-bound book. “Awesome. Corn. Love it. Anyway, if you pass a hardware store, could you get me some two-by-fours and a gallon of tar?”

“Leo,” Hazel chided, “it’s not a shopping trip.”

“Whatever. If you want the ship to fall apart, don’t get the two-by-fours or the tar,” Leo sassed. “See if I care when you’re all falling out of the sky.” He paused. “Well, I guess Jason would be fine since he can fly, but the rest of you are out of luck.” He paused again. “And Frank can turn into a bird, so he’ll be fine too. I guess Jason and Frank will be the lucky survivors if you don’t turn this into a shopping trip.”

“Fine,” Hazel sighed.

“All right, then,” Nico said. “Let’s go find the owner of that book.”

.

“Well, they’re plant-eaters,” Frank said. “Are you  _ sure _ they’re harmful?”

“I’m very sure,” Nico rolled his eyes. “Just be careful where you step and try not to trip?” Nico stopped. “There.”

They’d turned onto a smaller street, leaving the canal behind. Ahead of them was a small plaza lined with five-storey buildings. The area was strangely deserted – as if the mortals could sense it wasn’t safe. In the middle of the cobblestone courtyard, a dozen katobleps were sniffing around the mossy base of an old stone well.

“A lot of katobleps in one place,” Frank said.

“Yeah, but look,” Nico said. “Past that archway.”

At the far end of the plaza, a stone archway carved with lions led into a narrow street. Just past the arch, one of the town houses was painted black.

“La Casa Nera,” Frank guessed.

Hazel looked suspicious. “I don’t like that plaza. It feels … cold.”

Nico nodded. “You’re right, Hazel. This neighbourhood is filled with lemures.”

“Lemurs?” Frank asked nervously. “I’m guessing you don’t mean the furry little guys from Madagascar?”

“Angry ghosts,” Nico said. “Lemures go back to Roman times. They hang around a lot of Italian cities, but I’ve never felt so many in one place. My mom told me…” He hesitated. “She used to tell me stories about the ghosts of Venice.”

“You said you used to live here?” Frank remembered.

Nico shrugged. “Yeah. I… I don’t really remember much about Italy. Mostly just flashes of it. My father had Bianca and me taken for a dip in the Lethe, so… no memory. I can still speak the language.” He was quiet. “My mom met Hades here back in the 1930s. When World War Two got closer, she fled to the United States with us.”

“Must’ve been hard on your mom,” Frank said. “I guess we’ll do anything for someone we love.”

Nico allowed the faint smile to grace his lips. “Yeah. I guess we will.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, anyway, I’m sending out the message that the lemures should stay away and ignore us.”

He was quite proud that they managed to make it to the front door of the house without causing the katobleps to attack. However, he definitely lost his nerve as soon as the door opened to reveal a man and Nico faced the  _ second _ god to turn him into a plant.

“Oh,” the man said. He was young looking and wearing jeans and a denim shirt. His curly black hair and friendly smile looked down at them in surprise. “Hello. Demigods, I presume?”

“That’s us,” Frank said, sounding a lot braver than Nico felt at the moment.

“You better hurry inside,” the man said. “I think the katobleps are starting to get a little irritated.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love little geeky Nico.
> 
> Translations:  
> tesoro --> treasure or sweetheart (probably depends on the context you say it in; I don't speak Italian, I just use google translate)


	23. The Roundabout Way (Frank XXIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

“You’re safe now!” the man in denim said delightedly.

Frank didn’t really feel safe. Nico di Angelo, the creepy son of Hades who also happened to be from the future, was looking more pale than he normally was, and Frank could only assume that Nico did not like being here. Of course, Nico said he hated nature gods, so Frank could also assume this man was one of said nature gods, but that didn’t explain why Nico looked so… afraid?

Plus, having Ares and Mars fighting in his head wasn’t helping at all. The two sides of his father screamed at Frank to kill, hurt, or maim just about every person Frank saw.

The house’s front room was some sort of greenhouse. The walls were lined with tables of plant trays under fluorescent lights. The air smelled of fertilizer solution. The back room looked like a combination garage, college dorm and computer lab. Against the left wall glowed a bank of servers and laptops, their screensavers flashing pictures of ploughed fields and tractors. Against the right wall was a single bed, a messy desk and an open wardrobe filled with extra denim clothes and a stack of farm implements, like pitchforks and rakes. The back wall was a huge garage door. Parked next to it was a red-and-gold chariot with an open carriage and a single axle, like the chariots Frank had raced at Camp Jupiter. Sprouting from the sides of the driver’s box were giant feathery wings. Wrapped around the rim of the left wheel, a spotted python snored loudly.

“You’re lucky the katobleps didn’t attack you,” the man noted. “I assume you know what they are?”

“Believe me,” Nico muttered darkly. “We know.”

The man nodded. “Yes, yes. You clearly do. Ah, katobleps have poison breath and a poison gaze. How unfortunate that they were transported here from Africa.” He frowned. “You smell strange.”

“Probably because the katobleps stink,” Hazel mumbled. “So does that root they eat.”

“Yes, it does make their breath especially pungent,” the man agreed. “But no, that is not what I smell.”

“He’s Greek and we’re Roman,” Frank said quickly, gesturing to Nico and then Hazel and himself. “Uh, who are you?”

“Triptolemus,” the man said with a smile. “You may call me Trip.”

“Okay, uh, Trip,” Frank said cautiously. “We’re here on a friendly mission actually. We brought a gift.” He pulled the book Leo gave him out of his backpack. “This is yours, right?”

“My almanac!” Triptolemus grinned and seized the book. He thumbed through the pages and started bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Oh, this is fabulous! Where did you find it?”

“Um, Bologna. There were these –” Frank remembered that he wasn’t supposed to mention the  dwarfs – “terrible monsters. We risked our lives, but we knew this was important to you.”

“We need help to learn how to survive the House of Hades,” Nico interrupted boldly. “Hecate led us here.”

“She told me you could help,” Hazel added.

Trip contemplated them for a moment. “I suppose you did risk your lives to bring me my book,” he said, patting the almanac. “Okay. When you arrive at Epirus, you will be offered a chalice to drink from.” He paused dramatically. “It is filled with deadly poison.”

“So don’t drink it?” Hazel squeaked.

“No!” Trip said. “You must drink it, or you’ll never be able to make it through the temple. The poison connects you to the world of the dead, lets you pass into the lower levels. The secret to surviving is –” his eyes twinkled – “barley.”

Frank stared at him. “Barley.”

“In the front room, take some of my special barley. Make it into little cakes. Eat these before you step into the House of Hades. The barley will absorb the worst of the poison, so it will affect you, but not kill you.” He lead them to the front room and gestured to the barley. “Good luck. If you are going to the House of Hades, you will need it.”

Frank took a whole conveniently produced Ziploc bag of barley.

.

Of course it couldn’t be this easy. As soon as they left Trip’s house, Hazel got a face full of katobleps breath. They rushed back inside to have Trip heal her, but in his panic, Frank let slip that Hazel and Nico were children of the Underworld. Hence, Nico became corn and Frank decided to find Trip a snake in exchange for his friends returning to normal.

“I  _ hate _ fixed points,” Nico hissed as they made their way back to the Argo II. “I swear if I get turned into a plant one more time…”

Once they helped Hazel onto the ship, Will whisked her off to inspect her health.

“Nico, did I have to do this the first time?” Frank asked.

“Kill all the katobleps in Venice to save Hazel’s life and turn me back into a human?” Nico snorted. “Yeah. You did. I just wish I could have avoided turning into a plant.”

Frank hesitated. “So… so I proved my worth that time too?”

Nico paused. “Frank. You don’t need to prove your worth. I mean, I get it. That’s how I use to feel too.” He frowned. “When I first came to Camp Half-Blood after the Titan War, the first time, I stayed for about a few weeks? Yeah. Anyway, I stayed for about a few weeks and I pushed everyone except Percy and Thalia, Jason’s sister, away. I ended up sleeping in the Underworld since I didn’t have a cabin. Eventually, Thalia had to leave to go with the Hunters, and Percy had to go to school. I left camp.” He stared at his feet. “Despite the circumstances, it took me until sometime a few weeks before we won against Gaea to realize what I was doing. Will helped me see that. Just because you don’t think people care or that you’re worth anything, doesn’t mean that’s what other people think, Frank.”

“You haven’t always been friends with Annabeth?” Frank asked in confusion.

Nico froze. “That’s what you got out of that?”

Frank blushed. “Ah, no. Just, you said you didn’t push away Percy, but I guess I always assumed he and Annabeth were a package deal.”

“Annabeth and I both wanted something,” Nico said carefully. “She got it, I didn’t. I cleared the air during the Giants War, and we got closer.” He snorted. “She and Percy  _ are _ a package deal.”

“What was it?” Frank asked curiously.

Nico glanced at him. “I think I’m okay telling you, but it’s not completely my place to say. It isn’t Percy and Annabeth’s place at all though, so don’t ask them.” He stood up and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you like "oh why doesn't Nico just tell them" then here's my answer to you. The Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, and Hazel the Nico from the future knows are not the same Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, and Hazel he is now in his past with. They got closer in the future. Especially Nico and Jason. Nico knows he can trust them, but at the same time, he doesn't trust them because he doesn't know them. If that makes sense. Time travel is funky.


	24. Cassidy (Annabeth XXIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Annabeth didn’t know whether Percy was just stupid or he actually trusted Cassidy. Then again, she  _ was _ an empousa. Luring men was part of their monster description.

“I know you do not trust me,” Cassidy said to her as they walked to the Hermes shrine. “I do not blame you. I would not trust me either if I were you.”

Annabeth’s hand closed around the hilt of her sword. “Why is that?”

“Because you have bad experiences with my kind,” Cassidy shrugged.

“You know how the Doors work, Cassidy, right?” Percy asked hesitantly. “Twelve minute button hold and all that?”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to know how  _ you _ know that, but, yes, that is how it works. It matters not, though. I cannot give you safe passage through the Doors, nor can you give me safe passage. I will be too weak to hold off any monster attack. As I said, I will escort you to the Doors to close them.”

They passed a blister in the ground – a writhing, translucent bubble the size of a minivan. Curled inside was the half-formed body of a drakon. Percy speared the blister without a second thought. It burst in a geyser of steaming yellow slime, and the drakon dissolved into nothing. They kept walking.

“Here,” Annabeth said in relief.

Cassidy gave the ring of black marble columns surrounding a dark stone altar at the bottom of a crater an unimpressed look. “A Hermes shrine? In Tartarus?”

Annabeth had a small smile. “Yep. I think it fell from somewhere long ago. Maybe the mortal world or Olympus.”

They climbed into the crater and entered the circle of columns. The inky storm front was less than a hundred feet away now, obscuring everything ahead of them. The crater’s rim blocked their view of the wasteland behind. They’d be well hidden here, but if monsters did stumble across them they would have no warning.

“There are Giants and Titans after you two,” Cassidy warned. “Is this really the time to stop and pray?”

“Eat and rest,” Percy mumbled. “Mortals need rest, you know. This is going to be the best place for a long, long time.” He yawned. “Ugh, Annabeth, do you mind taking first watch?”

Annabeth nodded. “That’s fine, Percy.” She settled down to sit with her back against a column.

“What do you want to ask?” Cassidy spoke as soon as Percy had fallen asleep. “I feel I have answered all you could know, but you still have questions.”

“Like you said,” Annabeth said tightly. “I don’t trust your kind.”

“Kelli had her own agenda,” Cassidy said dismissively. “I serve the Dark Lady’s agenda. She favors your friend, the daughter of Pluto.” A shadow passed over her face. “My lady is concerned for the future. She received a prophecy and a warning from Lord Apollo before he lost Delphi.”

_ Apollo lost Delphi _ . Annabeth frowned. In the future, Apollo had certainly indicated he no longer controlled the prophecy, but then the war escalated, and Apollo went missing. Then she, Percy, and Nico came back, and it had been pushed from their minds.

“What did he say?” she asked.

Cassidy looked nervous. “He told her she was in danger and that the only way to save herself was to send her servant to help ‘the fallen demigods,’” she quoted. “Yourself and Percy.”

“And the prophecy?” Annabeth asked hesitantly.

“I cannot say it,” Cassidy said, shaking her head. “Prophecies are too often misinterpreted. It will not come to fruition for another decade at least. Possibly two. Lord Apollo said the future was unclear.” She slid down across from Annabeth, leaning against one of the other columns. “I do not like it.”

“Prophecies suck,” Annabeth agreed. “Especially when you still don’t know what they mean.”

“You have a prophecy yourself then,” Cassidy said with a small smile. “Perhaps I could help.”

Annabeth contemplated her options. One, she told Cassidy the lines they couldn’t figure out. Two, she said nothing. “Okay.  _ Twins snuff out the angel’s light / Who holds the key to saviors’ plight _ . We know the plight is, well, it’s Tartarus. We just don’t know what the key is or who the angel’s light is. I thought maybe Nico di Angelo, but he thought that meant his friend Will Solace, son of Apollo.”

Cassidy said nothing. Then she said, “Perhaps that is me? Hecate did send me because of Apollo’s words.”

Annabeth nodded. “That would make sense too, but I’m still unsure. Anyway, the other line is from the Great Prophecy.  _ An oath to keep with a final breath _ . We’ve all made promises. I just worry which one might be the one to keep with a final breath.”

“I do not believe it is yours,” Cassidy said sadly. “ _ Seven half-bloods shall answer the call / To storm of fire the world must fall / An oath to keep with a final breath / And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death _ . It is a list. You are just checking things off it. Seven half-bloods venture out to defeat Gaea. Check. The world falls to storm or fire. Not quite a check yet. Keeping an oath results in death. I do not believe this has come to pass. Foes close the Doors of Death. That’s us I suppose.” She frowned. “The oath will be made soon. It will take the place of a broken oath.” She glanced at the sleeping Percy. “Annabeth, please rest. I swear to you on the Styx that I will not kill you in your sleep.”

Annabeth  _ was _ tired. Her eyelids seemed heavy. “Okay. Wake us when the food arrives.” She curled up on the hard ground and closed her eyes.

.

_ She was a little girl again, struggling to climb Half-Blood Hill. Luke Castellan held her hand, pulling her along. _

_ Their satyr guide Grover Underwood pranced nervously at the summit, yelling, “Hurry! Hurry!” _

_ Thalia Grace stood behind them, holding back an army of hellhounds with her terror-invoking shield, Aegis. _

_ From the top of the hill, Annabeth could see the camp in the valley below – the warm lights of the cabins, the possibility of sanctuary. She stumbled, twisting her ankle, and Luke scooped her up to carry her. When they looked back, the monsters were only a few yards away – dozens of them surrounding Thalia. _

_ “Go!” Thalia yelled. “I’ll hold them off.” She brandished her spear, and forked lightning slashed through the monsters’ ranks, but as the hellhounds fell more took their place. _

_ “We have to run!” Grover cried. He led the way into camp. Luke followed, with Annabeth crying, beating at his chest and screaming that they couldn’t leave Thalia alone. But it was too late. _

_ The scene shifted. _

_ Annabeth was older, climbing to the summit of Half-Blood Hill. Where Thalia had made her last stand, a tall pine tree now rose. Overhead a storm was raging. Thunder shook the valley. A blast of lightning split the tree down to its roots, opening a smoking crevice. In the darkness below stood Reyna, the praetor of New Rome. Her cloak was the colour of blood fresh from a vein. Her gold armour glinted. She stared up, her face regal and distant, and spoke directly into Annabeth’s mind. _

You have done well _ , Reyna said, but the voice was Athena’s.  _ The rest of my journey must be on the wings of Rome _. The praetor’s dark eyes turned as grey as storm clouds.  _ I must stand here _ , Reyna told her.  _ The Roman must bring me _. _

_ The hill shook. The ground rippled as the grass became folds of silk – the dress of a massive goddess. Gaia rose over Camp Half-Blood – her sleeping face as large as a mountain. Hellhounds poured over the hills. Giants, six-armed Earthborn and wild Cyclopes charged from the beach, tearing down the dining pavilion, setting fire to the cabins and the Big House. _

Hurry _ , said the voice of Athena.  _ The message must be sent _. _

_ The ground split at Annabeth’s feet and she fell into darkness. _

.

“Surprised you fell asleep on the job, Wise Girl.”

Annabeth groaned. “Shut up, Percy. Is the food here?” She looked at the altar where slices of pizza, hotdogs, grapes, a package of M&M’s, and other food sat innocently.

“Here,” Cassidy said, passing Annabeth a plate of roast beef.

“Camp food,” Annabeth moaned in delight. She wolfed it down. Clearing her throat, she pulled a sheet of paper and a pen from her backpack. “I’ve got to write the note. Hopefully everything works out.” She scribbled out a note.

_ Rachel, _

_ It’s Annabeth. I know you probably have questions about how I’m getting this to you via Connor Stoll via flames. Part of the quest is to close the Doors of Death. Nico said the mortal side is in Epirus, but the other side is in Tartarus. _

_ You can probably guess where I’m going with this. Percy and I are going to close the Doors on the Tartarus side. _

_ I need you to do something for me. Go to Camp Jupiter. Tell Reyna she has to meet the others in Greece. She must be the one to bring the Athena Parthenos to Camp. Tell her to send the Roman Legion. Gaea is going to attack Camp Half-Blood on August 1. _

_ Will and Nico are okay by the way. I suppose the last time you saw them, Nico shadow traveled Will away and two giants kidnapped Nico. They’re on the Argo II. If you get in contact with them, give them our love. Tell them we’re sorry, but it was our choice. Someone had to close the Doors. _

_ All our love, _

_ Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson _

When she finished the letter, she folded the paper and added another message.

_ Connor, _

_ Give this to Rachel. Not a prank. Don’t be a moron. _

_ Love, _

_ Annabeth _

“Okay,” Annabeth said, inhaling sharply. “Here goes nothing.”

“All our love?” Percy grimaced. “Way to sound like we’re going to die.”

Annabeth shrugged indifferently, but inside she fought back tears. “Aren’t we? We can’t go through the Doors, Percy. This will be the last thing people ever hear from us.” She placed the note on the altar. “Match?”

“No need,” Cassidy said. Her hair lit on fire and she scooped a flame onto the altar.

They watched the note crumble to ash.

“We should go,” Cassidy broke the silence. “Before we are killed. The monsters are closing in.”

.

Annabeth had no idea how their luck managed to be this bad. They weren’t even going to get the Death Mist this time, yet the arai managed to find them.

“Arai,” Percy said, stepping backwards.

Cassidy stepped forward. “Begone. You have no business here.”

_ Child of Hecate _ , the arai hissed.  _ Stand aside, and let us curse these demigods a thousand times in the name of Mother Night! _

“Only a thousand times?” Cassidy mumbled. “Great.”

Her sarcasm reminded Annabeth of Percy, and she quickly shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that.

The group of arai closed in.

“Back off,” Percy said, jabbing Riptide at the nearest one.

_ We are the arai _ , they said in their weird voice-over.  _ You cannot destroy us. _

“Don’t touch them,” Cassidy said without looking at them. She seemed to hover defensively in front of Percy and Annabeth. “They’re the spirits of curses.”

_ We serve the bitter and the defeated _ , said the arai.  _ We serve the slain who prayed for vengeance with their final breath. We have many curses to share with you. _

Annabeth’s mouth went dry. How many monsters had she and Percy killed the first time? Nowhere near as many as they had in the Giant War. Could the arai inflict curses from the future?

“I appreciate the offer,” Percy was saying. “But my mom told me not to accept curses from strangers.”

The nearest demon lunged. Her claws extended like bony switchblades. Percy cut her in two, but as soon as she vaporized he stumbled back, clamping his hand to his rib cage. His fingers came away wet and red.

“Geryon,” Percy grunted. “It’s how I killed him. The arrow.”

The spirits bared their fangs. More arai leaped from the black trees, flapping their leathery wings.

_ Yes _ , they agreed.  _ Feel the pain you inflicted upon Geryon. So many curses have been levelled at you, Percy Jackson. Which will you die from? Choose, or we will rip you apart! Choose _ ! the arai cried.  _ Will you be crushed like Kampê? Or disintegrated like the young telkhines you slaughtered under Mount St Helens? You have spread so much death and suffering, Percy Jackson. Let us repay you!  _ The winged hags pressed in, their breath sour, their eyes burning with hatred.

“Come on!” Cassidy shouted. She grabbed Annabeth’s hand with her left hand and Percy’s hand with her right hand.

Once Annabeth’s brain caught up with what was going on, she yanked her hand from the empousa’s grip and switched to help Cassidy drag Percy away.

“Whatever you do, don’t kill them,” Cassidy yelled. “Leave it to me. They don’t curse monsters!”

That wasn’t true. When they had been attacked the first time, the arai had said they didn’t curse Bob when he killed them because the Titan had already been cursed not to have his memory. If Cassidy killed one… Annabeth didn’t want to know why the empousa lied to them.

“Cassidy!” Percy gasped. “When we get to the Doors, can we hold off the monsters and send someone through? Two of us fighting, one holding the button?”

Annabeth had no idea what Percy was talking about.

“I think so!” Cassidy answered. She glanced over her shoulder and she sped up, dragging Percy and Annabeth with her. “Why?”

“We need help,” Percy said, “and I have to be sure before I call him. BOB! Bob, we need help!”

And suddenly that made so much sense. Bringing Bob to Tartarus was guaranteeing he would never leave, at least for a long time, but if they sent him through the Doors…

“BOB!” Annabeth yelled. “Bob, we need help, please!” She shrieked when she felt something touch her arm, and her dagger was slicing through the air without a second’s thought. Until her vision disappeared when the arai that grabbed her turned into dust. “I can’t see!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no. They're dragging Bob into this. Of course, Percy held off as long as he could, but in the end they need Bob's help.


	25. The Piercer (Percy XXV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Percy hoped that Bob came in time. As he glanced over at Annabeth’s pure white eyes, he could help but feel the fear rising in him.

_ Polyphemus cursed you when you tricked him with your invisibility in the Sea of Monsters. You called yourself Nobody. He could not see you. Now you will not see your attackers. _

“I’ve got you,” Percy promised. “Just keep running, Annabeth. We’re going to be fine. Bob will come.”

“Who’s Bob?” Cassidy hissed as they ran.

“Right turn, right turn!” Percy directed Annabeth. “Uh, Bob’s a friend. Trust me. Big ROCK!” he yelped, steering Annabeth around it.

“We can’t keep running forever,” Cassidy warned. “We’ll tire out and Annabeth’s blind. If your friend can help, he needs to get here now.”

“SWEEP!”

Percy stopped and looked behind him gratefully. “Bob?”

The massive silvery form of Bob the Titan holding a broom and brandishing it at the arai was a welcome sight.

“SWEEP!” Bob grinned at Percy. “Percy!”

“Am I glad to see you, Bob,” Percy said shaking his head.

The arai hissed and backed away.

“Bob, we gotta go!” Percy called. “Annabeth’s cursed.”

Bob’s eyes crinkled. “Annabeth is cursed?” He turned his attention to the arai. “Die!” His broom was back in motion.

_ We will return to kill you, demigods, _ the arai promised before flying off.

Bob turned back to look at Percy. “Nico said you were missing. I am glad you are okay.”

Percy smiled. “Turns out Hera kidnapped me and took my memories.” He winced. “Uh, so… I guess I know how you felt.”

After the first few visits had gone well, Percy had decided to tell Bob about his memories. Just in case. After all, the arai had been able to use that to come between Bob and Percy the first time.

“Iapetus?” Cassidy asked with raised eyebrows. “Your friend is Iapetus?”

“I am Bob,” Bob announced. “I am a good Titan. Iapetus was bad,” he scowled. “Percy is my friend.”

For some reason, Cassidy did not look impressed. She looked annoyed.

“Is this the friend you want to hold the button for?” she asked flatly. “You want me to help you send a Titan to the mortal world?”

Percy glared at her. “The only reason I called Bob was because you said we could do it. Bob’s getting out of here. I have to save him.”

“Percy?” Annabeth called hesitantly. “Where to now?”

“Bob, can you fix Annabeth?” Percy asked.

Bob touched her forehead. “Owie.”

The white disappeared from Annabeth’s eyes and her usual stormy grey orbs reappeared. “What… where…?”

“You are healed!” Bob said proudly.

Annabeth looked at Percy. “Percy, are you-?”

“Ugh,” Percy said, feeling like he was about to throw up. “I feel like I got shot through the side by an arrow.” He examined his bleeding sides. “I should probably do something about that.”

“Bob, could you heal him?” Annabeth asked hopefully.

“Owie,” Bob said, touching Percy’s forehead.

“I SMELL HIM!” a voice roared. “BEWARE, SON OF POSEIDON! I COME FOR YOU!”

“Polybotes,” Cassidy warned. “He’s close. We need to move.”

Annabeth’s sigh seemed too fake to Percy. “Isn’t there somewhere we can rest? Percy and I are mortal, Cassidy, and we just recovered from curses. I’m  _ tired _ .”

“There is one place,” Bob volunteered. “There is a giant who might let you rest.”

“Perfect,” Percy heard Cassidy mutter under her breath. “Now there’s friendly giants and titans.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so Percy intends to send Bob through the Doors and Annabeth intends to send Damasen through the Doors. Let's be honest though. Don't they deserve it? Say hello to the stars and all that. I was sad when Percy and Annabeth had to leave them behind the first time.


	26. Something's Wrong With Nico (Hazel XXVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Hazel was starting to hate the omniscient. Well, okay, it wasn’t fair to call Nico omniscient. He just knew the one possible future. And Hecate was no goddess of the prophecy, but the farting polecat now following Hazel started leading her to believe the goddess was omniscient in some sense.

_ She’s here to see how it goes _ . Well wasn’t that not ominous sounding. Just plan old peachy if you asked her.

Nico knew what Hazel had to do. That much was pretty much obvious. Otherwise, why would he have such faith in a girl who knows nothing about magic or Mist manipulation? She didn’t understand how she was supposed to learn magic with no training. Hecate expected her to defeat some super-powerful sorceress – the lady in the gold dress, whom Leo had described from his dream. But how?

_ The dead see what they believe they will see. So do the living. That is the secret. _

Both Nico and her father had said that. Well, her father said that in her dreams, and Nico straight up told her.

The nightmares she had been getting lately seemed like glimpses of the future. Hazel was stumbling through a dark tunnel while a woman’s laughter echoed around her.

_ Control this if you can, child of Pluto _ , the woman taunted.

And always Hazel dreamed about the images she’d seen at Hecate’s crossroads: Leo falling through the sky; Percy and Annabeth lying unconscious, possibly dead, in front of black metal doors; and a shrouded figure looming above them – the giant Clytius wrapped in darkness.

“Feeling any better?” Frank asked.

Hazel shrugged. “I’m alright,” she managed. “You?”

“I’m taller,” Frank said uncertainly. “And Nico gave me a heart-to-heart.”

Hazel raised an eyebrow. “Hold on. Did you just say my brother gave you a  _ heart-to-heart _ as in like a pep talk? Or did he give you an actual heart? Because the Nico I know would go for the second one.”

“I got the feeling it was more of a he needed to hear himself say it,” Frank grimaced. “He basically just told me that I have nothing to prove to you guys.”

“I’m worried about Nico,” Hazel said quickly. She felt her face heat up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

Frank waved her off. “What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s apparently giving people heart-to-hearts,” Hazel said with a small smile at Frank. “Not to mention, he’s been a lot… quieter lately.” She glanced up at the yardarm where Nico was perched. “I don’t know, Frank. I guess I just thought that maybe he’d be more, you know, happy. He’s never had an easy life, and I know he had the whole thing with the Giants War, but he’s got a friend in Will and I had hoped for the best.” She cast a look at Will who was watching the scenery around them go by. “Nico’s avoiding Will.”

Which was true. If Nico wasn’t on the yardarm, precariously perched, then he was in Percy and Annabeth’s room with Daedalus’ laptop. It was kind of ridiculous.

“He’s been through a lot,” Frank pointed out. “He’s already done this once before, and then he got captured again. Not to mention Percy and Annabeth falling…”

Not falling. Jumping. The two demigods had decided to jump off the ledge and into Tartarus. Something Hazel didn’t understand. The prophecy literally said that either Nico or Will would have the answer to this particular problem. Why not wait for that answer to present itself?

“Nico said he was only friends with Percy and Thalia,” Frank said suddenly. “Uh, I guess Thalia is Jason’s sister. Anyway, he said after the Titan war the first time, that he pushed everyone but them away.”

“Thank you for spilling all my secrets.”

Hazel almost laughed as Frank’s eyes widened and he fell over. Her brother looked amused.

“Nico!” Frank sputtered. “Don’t do that!”

Nico grinned. “Sorry,” he said, not really sounding it. “I don’t mind, really. Just… like I said, please don’t dig into my relationships with people. The last timeline wasn’t good. I’m trying to fix that.”

Gale the polecat scampered up to them, farted and ran away.

“Ugh,” Nico waved away the smell. “I forgot about her.” His eyes widened. “Oh gods. I forgot about it!”

“Forgot what?” Frank shouted.

“Valdez!” Nico yelled. “Vald-” he was cut off as the boat lurched forward.

Hazel tumbled into Frank and immediately started wheezing as the pommel of her sword jabbed her stomach.

Dimly, Hazel wondered if they’d hit an iceberg – but in the Adriatic, in the middle of summer? The ship rocked to port with a massive commotion, like telephone poles snapping in half.

“It’s eating the oars!” Leo’s voice yelled. “I’m going to kill you, di Angelo!”

“Duly noted,” Nico called back. “I’ll remember to tell you what’s going to attack us and where because THAT’S SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT I REMEMBER! NOT THE FREAKING END OF THE WORLD OR ANYTHING!”

What is? Hazel wondered. She tried to stand, but something large and heavy was pinning her legs. She realized it was Frank, grumbling as he tried to extract himself from a pile of loose rope.

Everyone else was scrambling.

Jason jumped over them, his sword drawn, and raced towards the stern.

Piper was already on the quarterdeck, shooting food from her cornucopia and yelling, ‘Hey! HEY! Eat this, ya stupid turtle!’

“Get us in the air!” Nico screamed.

Will and Frank were at the helm in seconds, bows drawn. They fired arrows down at, well,  _ something _ .

Leo frantically worked the ship’s controls. “Oars won’t retract. Get it away! Get it away!”

Coach Hedge was the last one on deck. He compensated for that with enthusiasm. He bounded up the steps, waving his baseball bat, and without hesitation goat-galloped to the stern and leaped over the rail with a gleeful “Ha-HA!”

Hazel staggered towards the quarterdeck to join her friends. The boat shuddered.

More oars snapped, and Leo yelled, “No, no, no! Dang slimy-shelled son of a mother!”

Hazel reached the stern and couldn’t believe what she saw. When she heard the word turtle, she thought of a cute little thing the size of a jewellery box, sitting on a rock in the middle of a fishpond. When she heard huge, her mind tried to adjust – okay, perhaps it was like the Galapagos tortoise she’d seen in the zoo once, with a shell big enough to ride on. She did not envision a creature the size of an island. When she saw the massive dome of craggy black and brown squares, the word turtle simply did not compute. Its shell was more like a landmass – hills of bone, shiny pearl valleys, kelp and moss forests, rivers of seawater trickling down the grooves of its carapace.

On the ship’s starboard side, another part of the monster rose from the water like a submarine. Lares of Rome … was that its head? Its gold eyes were the size of wading pools, with dark sideways slits for pupils. Its skin glistened like wet army camouflage – brown flecked with green and yellow. Its red, toothless mouth could’ve swallowed the Athena Parthenos in one bite. Hazel watched as it snapped off half a dozen oars.

If this was supposed to be her test, then Hazel thought it was a stupid test.

.

Percy’s siblings sucked was the general consensus. Polyphemus, Chrysaor, and Sciron all sucked. Hazel wished Percy had been here to give Sciron a piece of his mind.

“Pluto said what?” Piper demanded.

Hazel repeated her conversation with Pluto. “He said the Doors of Death are at the lowest level of the Necromanteion. And he said there would be a maze,” she hesitated with a look at Nico.

Leo crossed his arms. “I think di Angelo can explain. And maybe try and tell us if any of Percy’s crazy siblings decide to attack us?”

“Remembering everything that happened isn’t exactly on my to do list,” Nico muttered. “I’d rather forget the whole thing.”

“The maze?” Jason prompted.

Will held up a hand. “Hold on. What do you mean you’d rather forget the whole thing?”

“It doesn’t matter, Will,” Nico said through gritted teeth. “Can I explain the actual important things?” When he received no interruptions, Nico continued. “The maze is the Labyrinth. Pasi-” he cut himself off. “The mother of the half-man, half-bull, I mean, resurrected it. It should have collapsed when Daedalus died, but somehow, she did something to it.” He left to go to either his room or Percy and Annabeth’s room to work more with Daedalus’ laptop.

Hazel was beginning to think there was something seriously bad coming up on this quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Nico. Don't take out your irritation on your friends! We know Cupid's a jerk, but your friends aren't!


	27. Jason Has A Dream (Nico XXVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Croatia. Croatia was a lingering memory that would not go away. As the day got closer, Nico found himself hiding more. Which, after his little pep talk with Frank, seemed rather hypocritical of himself.

Plus Hazel was doing her best to drag him out of his room. And that only served to remind him of Will because that was such a Will thing to do. Thinking about Will was very bad. Especially now.

Admitting to his crush on Percy in front of Jason was embarrassing the first time. But this time… if he could fool Cupid (and who was he kidding really?) into believing he still had a crush on Percy, this would be easier. If he had to admit that he  _ loved _ Will Solace in front of Jason, well… at the present time, Nico had no idea if those feelings were requited or not.

He groaned and cursed every god or goddess of love out there.

“Why does it have to be me you mess with?” he grumbled. “Mess with someone who deserves to be messed with.”

“Nico?”

Nico jumped and looked at Will. “What?” he snapped.

Will looked confused. “I don’t understand why you’re so… this with me,” he said gesturing at Nico. “What did I do?”

“I’m just on edge, Solace,” Nico said tightly. “Did you need something?”

“It’s Jason,” Will said. “He saw something. We’re talking. Over food.”

.

“Rachel and Grover went to New Rome,” Jason announced. “They gave Reyna a note from, uh, well, they gave her a note from Annabeth.”

“A note from Annabeth.” Piper shook her head in amazement. “I don’t see how that’s possible, but if it is-”

“She’s alive,” Leo said. “Thank the gods.”

Nico frowned. “I told you they could survive.”

“Wait, but if Reyna leaves,” Frank began, looking worried, “that puts Octavian in charge of the Legion. I mean, Reyna will be stripped of her praetorship for this. It’s taboo, coming to the ancient lands.”

“How will she know how to find us?” Hazel asked, eyes darting towards Nico.

“She’ll find us,” Jason assured them. “She mentioned something in the dream. She’s expecting me to go to a certain place on our way to the House of Hades. I – I’d forgotten about it, actually, but she’s right. It’s a place I need to visit.”

“Where is this place?” Piper asked.

“A… uh, a town called Split,” Jason answered looking worriedly at his girlfriend. “I asked Leo to make the stop. In fact, we should be getting close. Leo?”

Nico could practically feel the color (what little he had) draining from his face.

“-it was called … what’d you say, Jason? Bodacious?”

“Dalmatia,” Nico said, rejoining the conversation and making Jason jump. He stepped forward, his dark eyes fixed on Jason. “Croatia used to be Dalmatia,” Nico said. “A major Roman province. You want to visit Diocletian’s Palace, don’t you?”

“You know the answer to that,” Jason said evenly.

Nico nodded. “I do, yes.”

“Nico is right,” Jason said after an awkward silence. “I need to go to Diocletian’s Palace. It’s where Reyna will go first, because she knows I would go there.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “And why would Reyna think that? Because you’ve always had a mad fascination with Croatian culture?”

“Reyna and I used to talk about Diocletian,” he said. “We both kind of idolized the guy as a leader. We talked about how we’d like to visit Diocletian’s Palace. Of course we knew that was impossible. No one could travel to the ancient lands. But still we made this pact that if we ever did that’s where we’d go.”

Piper sipped another spoonful of soup. “So why is Diocletian’s Palace so special?”

Nico leaned over and plucked a grape. “It’s said to be haunted by the ghost of Diocletian.”

“Is it?” Leo asked interestedly.

“No,” Nico answered. “It’s haunted by something much worse.”

“What?” Jason asked.

Nico gave him an emotionless smile. “Cupid. If you want to get that scepter, you and I get to take a nice stroll with the god of love.” He could see that no one really knew what to make of that.

“We don’t have much time,” Frank warned. “It’s already July ninth. There’s no time to chat up the love god.”

“We aren’t chatting up the love god,” Nico snapped. “Trust me, you will want this scepter when we get to the House of Hades. If it was up to me, we wouldn’t be stopping at all.”

“What did Cupid do to you?” Will snorted. “This is why you’ve been acting weird, right? So what in Hades did Cupid do to you?”

Nico’s face burned. “I don’t want to talk about it. I hate Cupid. End of story.”

“Then I’ll go!” Piper said with a frown. “I’m a daughter of Aphrodite. I'm his half-sister!”

Nico tried to give her a grateful smile, but he thought it probably looked more like a grimace than a smile. “I appreciate that, Piper, but I have to do this. It’s the only way we get the scepter.”

The ship’s bell sounded. Festus creaked and whirred over the loudspeaker.

“We’ve arrived,” Leo announced. “Time to Split.”

Frank groaned. “Can we leave Valdez in Croatia?”

Jason stood. “Frank, you’re in charge of defending the ship. Leo, you’ve got repairs to do. The rest of you, help out wherever you can. Nico and I…” He faced the son of Hades. “We have a god of love to find.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for the long awaited meeting with Cupid. Joy...


	28. Cupid Stupid (Nico XXVIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades
> 
> And... yeah. The title of this chapter was inspired by an Arrow character called Cupid who did in fact say something along the lines of "I'm cupid, you're stupid" and that was literally the only thing running through my head as I wrote this chapter.

“Hello!”

Nico almost swore. Hearing Favinous speak up so suddenly...

“Favonius,” Jason realized. “God of the West Wind.”

Favonius smiled and bowed, obviously pleased to be recognized. “You can call me by my Roman name, certainly, or Zephyros, if you’re Greek. I’m not hung up about it.”

“So, you have the scepter?” Jason asked in confusion.

“Oh, no,” Favinous said, shaking his head. “That’s not here. My master has taken it.”

“Your master?” Jason repeated. “Not Aeolus.”

“Eros,” Nico said, mouth dry. “Or Cupid, in Latin.”

Favonius smiled. “Very good, Nico di Angelo. I’m glad to see you again, by the way. It’s been a  long time.”

“I’ve never met you,” Nico said flatly.

“You’ve never seen me,” the god corrected. “But I’ve been watching you. When you came here as a small boy, and several times since. I knew eventually you would return to look upon my master’s face.”

Nico’s heart started beating fast. His eyes darted around the room as he started to feel trapped.

“Nico?” Jason asked. “What’s he talking about?”

“I… I don’t know. Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Favonius cried. “The one you use to care for most … plunged into Tartarus. The one you care for now back on your ship, and still you will not allow the truth?”

“We’ve only come for Diocletian’s sceptre,” Nico said. “Take us to it.”

Favonius smiled. “Do you know what you are asking, boy? If you want the scepter, you must face the god of love.”

“I’m not afraid of a love god,” Nico said irritably.

Favonius beamed. “Excellent! Would you like a snack before you go?” He plucked a green apple from his basket and frowned at it. “Oh, bluster. I keep forgetting my symbol is a basket of unripe fruit. Why doesn’t the spring wind get more credit? Summer has all the fun.”

“Take us to Cupid,” Nico glared.

.

Dissolving into mist was as unpleasant as before. Once he was back fully formed, Nico inhaled deeply.

“Welcome to Salona,” Favonius said. “Capital of Dalmatia! Birthplace of Diocletian! But before that, long before that, it was the home of Cupid.”

The name echoed, as if voices were whispering it through the ruins.

“Nico, are you sure?” Jason asked Nico. His eyes were full of concern. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine!” Nico shouted. “Can we just get this over with?” At Nico’s feet, the grass turned brown and wilted. The dead patch spread outwards, as if poison were seeping from the soles of his shoes.

“Ah …” Favonius nodded sympathetically. “I don’t blame you for being nervous, Nico di Angelo. Do you know how I ended up serving Cupid?”

“Look!” Nico yelled. “I don’t care! Okay? I. Don’t. Care. Just get your master so we can get the scepter and go.”

Favonius raised an eyebrow. “You cannot lie to Cupid, Nico di Angelo. Proceed carefully.” He disappeared in a swirl of red and gold.

The ground shook, and Jason and Nico drew their swords.

_ So. You come to claim the sceptre. _

Nico steeled his nerves. “Tell us what to do,” he said, slightly proud that his voice didn’t waver. 

“We just want the scepter,” Jason added.

_ I know what you want. _ The god’s voice sounded teasing.  _ Poor Nico di Angelo. Do you know what you want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love. It was the only way to atone for her lack of faith. And you – what have you risked in my name? _

“You don’t scare me,” Nico snarled, cursing as his voice cracked.

_ I scare you very much. Face me. Be honest. _

“Nico,” Jason called, “what does he want from you?”

A look at Jason’s face told Nico that Jason knew exactly what Cupid wanted, but didn’t want to say it.

_ Tell him, Nico di Angelo _ , Cupid said.  _ Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your  _ _ feelings. Tell him the real reason you have shut yourself away, and why you are always alone. _

“I’m not afraid of my feelings,” Nico said, feeling more confident than he thought he would.

_ No, you aren’t _ , Cupid agreed.  _ After all, you have learned to embrace it in your past time. _

“How do you know-?”

_ I am a god. Do you think we are blind to things such as these? _

Nico closed his eyes. Images played across his mind. Nico and Bianca on a snowy cliff in Maine, Percy protecting them from a manticore. Percy’s sword gleamed in the dark. He’d been the first demigod Nico had ever seen in action. Later, at Camp Half-Blood, Percy took Nico by the arm, promising to keep his sister Bianca safe. Nico had believed him. Nico had looked into his sea-green eyes and thought,  _ How can he possibly fail? This is a real hero _ . He was Nico’s favourite game, Mythomagic, brought to life. The moment when Percy returned and told Nico that Bianca was dead. Nico screamed and called him a liar. He’d felt betrayed, but still… when the skeleton warriors attacked, he couldn’t let them harm Percy. Nico had called on the earth to swallow them up, and then he’d run away – terrified of his own powers, and his own emotions. Nico suggesting Percy take a dip in the River Styx. Begging his father to spare Percy’s life. Fleeing camp when Percy and Annabeth got together. Watching them fall into Tartarus almost a year later. Percy’s still form at the base of the Doors of Death. Fleeing to Olympus. Confessing to Percy. Searching the ruins of Olympus. Kissing Will after the battle. Waking up to find out he was back in time and had once again lost love. Befriending Will. His eyes snapped open.

“I left Camp Half-Blood after the Titan war because of love,” Nico confessed. “I… Annabeth… I was…”

“Nico, I get it,” Jason assured him.

“No, you don’t,” Nico said miserably. “I wasn’t in love with Annabeth. I was jealous of her. I hated myself. And I hated Percy Jackson because I hated that I had a crush on him.”

Cupid started to take form, and Nico wanted to punch his smug little face. He watched Nico with satisfaction, as if he’d identified the exact spot for his next arrow to make a clean kill.

“And now?” Cupid pressed.

Nico glared. “And now I’m over him. He… he wasn’t my type anyway,” he allowed a small smile despite the fact that he wished Percy would stop making that joke. “Now I’m back in time, and everything is different.”

“Not so different,” Cupid said. He looked at Nico lazily.

“Things are different because we changed them,” Nico said quietly. “It won’t happen like before.”

“But does it need to?” Cupid asked. “I told you before, Nico di Angelo. Love does not always make you happy. Sometimes it makes you sad. But the only way to conquer me is to face it.”

He was being stupid. He knew that of course. But Will was his light, and if it meant remaining friends with the son of Apollo, Nico would happily ignore his feelings.

But Will, Will from the future, loved him. What had those feelings been based on? Perhaps a glance or two during the Battle of Manhattan? Nico almost decapitating Will on Half-Blood Hill? Those days of recovery in Apollo’s temple? Battle planning? Sure there were dates after the war, after they got together, but that initial love was sparked on next to nothing. What had an early friendship sparked? All that time spent at Camp Half-Blood after the Titan war? Things they never had the chance to do the first time? What had that sparked?

“You know what needs to be done,” Cupid said, interrupting Nico’s thoughts. “Can I trust you to do it?”

Nico met Cupid’s eyes. They were the same blue as Will’s. “Trust? No. I don’t care what anyone thinks, but…” he hesitated. Did Will care? Was Will dating anyone now? After being at Camp Jupiter for so long, Nico hadn’t had the chance to catch up on the going ons of Camp Half-Blood. And that still didn’t tell him if Will cared.

After the war, hardly anyone was left to care. And Nico was not going to open the can of worms that was the question ‘Which of your ex’s are dead in the war?’ just to find out who, if anyone, Will had dated.

“It’s not totally up to me,” Nico finally said. “I promise to talk, but-”

“That’s all I ask,” Cupid said raising his hands. “Face me. Conquer me.” He dissolved into the wind.

On the ground where he’d stood lay an ivory staff three feet long, topped with a dark globe of polished marble about the size of a baseball, nestled on the backs of three gold Roman eagles. The sceptre of Diocletian.

“I’ll tell them,” Nico said to Jason as he picked up the scepter. “The crew. Like you said, or would have said, if they found out, I’d have that many more people to back me up and unleash the fury of the gods on anybody who gives me trouble,” he said with a small smile. “Just... give me some time.”

Jason smiled back. “You trusted me. You knew what would happen, but you still brought me along. Ann-” he hesitated, “Annabeth said I was like your brother.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Jason? I don’t have a crush on Percy anymore. I don’t care if you say Annabeth’s name. Percy isn’t my type. Something he never let’s me forget.” He shook his head. “When we came back in time, I was dating someone. So it kinda sucked getting thrown back onto the ‘Nico di Angelo has a messed up love life’ train.”

“As your protective older brother I demand to know who I have to threaten,” Jason said with a straight face.

Nico snorted. “Well, now that you said  _ that _ , I’m not telling you.”

Jason grinned. “Seriously, Nico. This,” he gestured around them, “was probably one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen. I mean, I can’t even imagine what it was like for you. You came from the 1940s.” He shook his head. “So brave.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Uh, huh. I’m brave. Thanks. Can we go back to the ship now?”

“Yeah. I can fly us –”

“No,” Nico announced. “This time we’re shadow-travelling. I’ve had enough of the winds for a while.”

“Did Will clear you to do that?” Jason asked with a smirk.

Nico turned a light pink color. “I don’t need Will’s  _ permission _ ,” he hissed.

“I won’t mention it if you let me threaten him.”

Jason’s triumphant look would have been wiped off his face if Nico was in the mood to do that. Although… considering everything Cupid put him through the first time, it might be therapeutic to give into violence. Then again, Will could be pretty scary…

“You can threaten him after I tell him,” Nico muttered. “Don’t mention shadow travel to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course I had to throw in Jason as a number one Solangelo fan!
> 
> I hope I did good with this. I wasn't sure about how much it should change.
> 
> And, yes, some of the gods at least can tell that Percy, Annabeth, and Nico time traveled.


	29. Damasen the Friendly Giant (Annabeth XXIX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Annabeth thought she knew what she was doing.

Okay, so she wasn’t actually tired like she claimed to be. But if Percy was going to get Bob out of Tartarus, then she’d do her best to get Damasen out too.

Bob lumbered along at a fast pace, even for a Titan, which made it almost impossible for Annabeth to keep up. Her lungs rattled. Her skin had started to blister again. She probably needed another drink of firewater, but they’d left the River Phlegethon behind. Her body was so sore and battered that she’d forgotten what it was like not to be in pain.

“How much longer?” she wheezed.

“Almost too long,” Bob called back. “But maybe not.”

Cassidy snorted. “Like  _ that’s _ helpful.”

“Hey,” Percy said darkly. “Bob’s my friend.”

“His name is Iapetus,” Cassidy said, crossing her arms. “He’s a  _ Titan _ . And you’re letting him take us to see a  _ giant _ .”

“We didn’t ask for your help,” Annabeth said coldly. “So you can respect our friends or leave. Your choice.”

Hecate herself might have sent the empousa to help Percy and Annabeth, but as far as Annabeth was concerned, if Cassidy didn’t start fixing her attitude towards Bob and Damasen, then she had whatever kind of ire Percy would show her for disrespecting his friends coming.

Not that Annabeth wouldn’t do her fair share of damage. But it was Percy’s fatal flaw that was loyalty to his friends, and he was the one most likely to snap first.

The air got thicker and stank of sewage. The darkness maybe wasn’t quite as intense, but she could only see Bob because of the glint of his white hair and the point of his spear.

“I hope Reyna got your message,” Percy mumbled. “Nico should be expecting her.” He was silent. Then, “What do you think Camp’s reaction was? Like did anyone pee their pants? I bet Connor did. But like, imagine this. The Apollo Cabin has been in a panic ever since Will disappeared and Nico got kidnapped by the giants, right? Suddenly they get a note from us in the fire thingy we burn food in, and we’re like ‘Yeah, we’re in Tartarus, but don’t worry. Nico and Will are with the rest of the crew on the Argo II.’ Like what did they think?”

“Seaweed brain,” Annabeth rolled her eyes. She bit her lip.  _ Huh. What  _ did _ camp think about the note? _ “I hate you, Percy. Now you’ve got me thinking.”

Before anything could break out, Bob stopped. “Look.”

Ahead in the gloom, the terrain levelled out into a black swamp. Sulphur-yellow mist hung in the air. Even without sunlight, there were actual plants – clumps of reeds, scrawny leafless trees, even a few sickly-looking flowers blooming in the muck. Mossy trails wound between bubbling tar pits. Directly in front of Annabeth, sunk into the bog, were footprints the size of trash can lids, with long, pointed toes.

“Drakon,” Cassidy murmured. “Iapetus? This giant you’re taking us to… is it him? The peaceful one?”

“Yes,” Bob grinned. “We are close.” Then he frowned. “My name is Bob.”

They continued through the gloom in silence. Uncomfortable silence if Annabeth felt like categorizing it.  Cassidy said nothing, but it was plainly obvious she did not like this plan. Which was fine, Annabeth supposed since her orders from Hecate were probably something like: “Get the two idiots who jumped into Tartarus to the Doors of Death safely so they can close them.” Making the pit stops at the Hermes Shrine and Damasen’s place were probably not on the itinerary the goddess of the Mist set for them.

Percy and Bob looked the total opposite of how they had originally, so that was an improvement. Percy wasn’t dying of gorgon’s blood, and Bob wasn’t internally contemplating whether or not he wanted to help Percy and Annabeth.

As for Annabeth herself, she couldn’t help but dread the coming days. Because most certainly, if they couldn’t get out of Tartarus at the Doors, if she and Percy stayed like they said, there would be no escape. It wasn’t fair to their friends, but for the good of the world…

A mighty roar shook her from her thoughts. She turned and saw the drakon charging towards them.

“The Maeonian drakon,” Cassidy said in disgust. “If you think that will scare us, titan-”

“No,” Bob shook his head. “Any minute now.”

“ROOOOAR!”

Damasen emerged from his hut. He charged at the drakon and they engaged in a fierce battle. The drakon spewed poison. The giant lunged to one side. He grabbed the oak tree and pulled it from the ground, roots and all. The old skull crumbled to dust as the giant hefted the tree like a baseball bat. The drakon’s tail lashed around the giant’s waist, dragging him closer to its gnashing teeth. But as soon as the giant was in range he shoved the tree straight down the monster’s throat. The tree pierced the drakon’s gullet and impaled it on the ground. The roots began to move, digging deeper as they touched the earth, anchoring the oak until it looked like it had stood in that spot for centuries. The drakon shook and thrashed, but it was pinned fast. The giant brought his fist down on the drakon’s neck. CRACK.The monster went limp. It began to dissolve, leaving only scraps of bone, meat, hide and a new drakon skull whose open jaws ringed the oak tree.

“Uh, Bob?” Percy said awkwardly. “Buddy, you wanna do introductions?”

Damasen raised an eyebrow. “Demigods? And why has Bob brought demigods to my home?”

Bob shifted his weight. “They need a place to rest before going to the Doors of Death.” He glanced back nervously. “The bad ones are looking for them. Damasen is a good giant.”

Damasen sighed. “Come inside. We will have stew. Then we will see about resting.”

.

“You are better off waiting here for my brethren to come finish you off,” Damasen scowled as he stirred the stew. “You cannot hope to make it through the Doors. There are guards that will see to that.”

“We aren’t going through the Doors,” Annabeth said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “We just need to close them.”

Damasen was quiet. “You intend to stay in Tartarus then. If you are looking for permanent stay, I cannot offer you any. Demigods attract monsters. I do not need help with that.”

“We aren’t,” Percy said. He squeezed Annabeth’s hand. “I think we both know we’re more likely to be dead as soon as the monsters realize the Doors are closed.”

“Yes, and the more monsters that you can stop from going through is a good thing,” Cassidy snapped. “Can we go to the Doors  _ without _ anymore delays?”

“Mortals get tired,” Bob chastised. “Percy and Annabeth need rest.”

“Rest is good,” Percy agreed. “G’night.” He promptly fell asleep and began snoring lightly.

“I will let you rest,” Damasen decided. “But I require payment. The story of how you got here?”

Annabeth let out a light laugh. “You’ll think we’re crazy.” She shook her head. “I suppose you know Gaea is waking?”

“Mother’s waking up, yes,” Damasen nodded. “I suppose you two are part of that quest of seven to defeat her?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth answered. “I just found the Athena Parthenos before we fell. I… I was so proud because no one has found it before, but I was stupid. Arachne had somehow latched a web on my ankle. I didn’t realize until Percy caught me and we slipped over the edge.” Okay, so she fudged the truth, but the pre-time travel version was probably the one they wanted to share with Bob, Damasen, and Cassidy. “He made the others promise to go to the other side of the Doors in Epirus. They’ll close them there, and we’ll close them here.” She swallowed. “I just hope they can defeat Gaea without us.”

“Best of luck to them,” Damasen snorted. “And you too. The Doors are too well guarded. You cannot make it there alive with only Iapetus and an empousa.”

Cassidy scowled. “I’ll have you know,  _ giant _ , that Lady Hecate taught me the secrets of the Mist-”

“Then come with us,” Annabeth said to Damasen, interrupting Cassidy. “Help us.”

“HA!” Damasen snorted. “Child of Athena I am not your friend. I helped mortals once, and you see where it got me.”

“I know your story,” Annabeth said quietly. “But you can break the curse. Come with us.”

“I have tried,” Damasen chuckled sourly. “Many times, but I only end up here. No, little demigod. My curse has overtaken me. I have no hope left. How do you even intend on reaching the Doors?”

“I will protect them with the Mist,” Cassidy said sharply. “I am the best of my kind. That is why Lady Hecate sent me.”

“Hecate sent you to help them?” Damasen murmured. He shook his head. “Get some sleep,” the giant said. “I will prepare supplies for your journey. I am sorry, but I cannot do more.”

Annabeth frowned, but she settled in next to Percy and drifted off to sleep.


	30. Evolutionary Mistake (Nico XXX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Unfortunately for Nico, Will was in the mess hall when Nico shadow traveled in with Jason.

“You can’t shadow travel yet!” Will shouted.

“Deals off,” Nico muttered to Jason. “No beating anyone up.”

Jason pouted. “Nico,” he whined. “Not fair.”

“Nico? Jason? When did you get back?” Piper exclaimed when she entered the mess hall. “Oh gods, are you two okay? What happened? What did Cupid want? Did you get the scepter?”

Nico scowled at the mention of Cupid. “Cupid’s a jerk. But we did get the scepter.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he opened his eyes, everyone was looking at him.

“You okay, Nico?” Hazel asked in concern.

“I’m fine,” Nico said sharply. Cupid’s words rang in his mind.  _ Face me. Conquer me _ . “It… it didn’t bother me as much this time. Well, I’m still mad he forced me to talk about…”

“Your love life,” Jason prompted when it was clear Nico couldn’t form the words.

Nico gritted his teeth. “Yeah. That.”

“He what?” Will asked in outrage. “What does that mean? He… he forced you to talk about who you like?”

Nico could feel his face burning. Surely he was the color of a tomato now. “Mostly who I used to like,” Nico said carefully. “And he made me promise to talk to who I presently like.”

Piper looked disgusted. “Oh gods, Nico. I’m so sorry. You should have sent-”

“I wouldn’t put anyone else through that,” Nico frowned.

“The rest of us are in relationships though,” Piper pointed out. “Wouldn’t that have been easier?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “And if it’s not true love? Or if one of you is having doubts? You’d have to confess that.” He shuffled awkwardly. “And it was always going to be me. It had to be me.”

Piper gave him a sympathetic look. “I understand. I think. Nico, if you want to talk about it, I can keep a secret. And my mom is the goddess of love, so I’m pretty good at listening to these things.”

“Thank you, but no,” Nico said flatly. “Really. I’m fine. I’m over it. Way over it. I already got it off my chest.” He clenched his fists in his pockets. “Look, I’ll keep it in mind, but Percy and Annabeth already know, well, everything, and I’m… I’m not ready to talk about it right now.”

“I want to know who it is eventually,” Hazel said, crossing her arms.

Nico blinked. “What? Why?”

“So I can threaten her.”

Nico cringed internally. “You don’t have to do that.”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. You’re my brother, Nico. And if some girl thinks she can just break your heart, then I’ll give her a piece of my mind.”

“How did you infect Hazel?” Nico demanded, looking at Jason.

Jason had an amused look on his face. “It’s called Protective Sibling Syndrome. Hazel’s your sister, and I’m your self-nominated older brother. We get special privileges of beating up our brother’s romantic interests.” His eyes narrowed, and Nico swore they were looking in Will’s direction. “And if that someone decides to hurt you, then they will feel the wrath of the children of Jupiter and Pluto. I could probably rope in Percy and Annabeth too, so that’s Poseidon and Athena as well.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Piper would be sad.”

“I don’t care, Grace.”

“Percy would be disappointed?” Jason tried.

Nico crossed his arms. “Percy knows my stance on  _ love _ .”

“So we just need to ask him who the lucky person is?”

“I trust Percy not to reveal my secrets. And I meant the idea.”

Frank blinked. “You have a stance on the  _ idea _ of love?”

“Let me guess,” Will sighed dramatically. “It’s weakness and an evolutionary mistake?”

“Yes.”

Will stared at him. “You do realize everyone here is friends with you, right? That’s a type of love. And you've clearly changed for the better with the whole 'BFFs with Percy and Annabeth because we're all from the future' thing.”

Nico’s stomach clenched. “I'm very aware of platonic love, Will,” he said icily. He stormed off to his room, ignoring the protests of his sister and Piper’s stern words about how Nico had just been attacked by the god of love and they should have been nicer. Nico couldn’t care less about that. What he did care about was Will’s response.

_ You do realize everyone here is friends with you, right? That’s a type of love. _

Platonic love seemed to be the only love he got lately.

Nico slumped into his bed. Only to be annoyed when there was a knock on the door. “What?” he asked grumpily.

Will opened the door and peeked in. “Uh, can I come in?”

Nico gestured to the room. “Why not? Just make yourself right at home,  _ amico _ .”

“You know I don’t know what any of that means, right?” Will asked. “Not that I don’t think you shouldn't be speaking Italian, just… I have no clue what you said.”

“Annoyed you in the other timeline too,” Nico said with a small smile. “One reason I do it. What did you want?”

“To apologize for saying that,” Will said, looking down. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s not that.”

Will’s head tilted in confusion. “Then why-?”

“I told Cupid I would talk to… someone. But I don’t think that someone is the same as they were in the other timeline.” Nico sat up and sat cross legged on his bed. His eyes were looking firmly at his crossed ankles. “I shouldn’t have run off.”

“You were dating someone when you got brought back,” Will said abruptly. “She doesn't like you now?”

Nico’s head snapped up. His eyes met Will’s. “How did you-? Nevermind. Yeah. I was dating someone. Ever since the end of the war. So a few months. I guess it would have been four months if the whole,” he waved his hands around, “time travel didn’t happen.”

“So there must be some attraction in the present,” Will pointed out. “Besides. How do you know for sure unless you just say it?”

“You could be a child of Aphrodite,” Nico deadpanned. “Thanks for the love advice, Dr. Solace.”

“I do what I can,” Will grinned. “I’m your doctor when you have a broken limb, severed limb, bleeding wound, and also when you need love advice.” He crossed his arms. “So if I leave will you Iris message whichever Roman or Greek demigod she is? Or mortal, I suppose.”

“Probably not,” Nico answered wryly.  _ Especially since there is no she and Iris messaging someone who’s already on the ship would be a waste of a drachma. _ “I was thinking about winning the war, then confessing my undying love.” He patted Will’s shoulder. “But grazie sole.”

“I’m going to learn Italian one day, then you won’t be able to pull anything over me,” Will said seriously.

“That’s what you said before, tesoro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a cute lil chapter with a lil Solangelo talk.
> 
> Also, is writing the end of the House of Hades section for this and realizing my initial judgement of HoH section going from Ch 18 to Ch 30 something was WAY off. More like Ch 18 to Ch 45 ish. Generally my chapters have been 4-5 pages in Google docs (some are only 2, but those are few), and I like to keep things relatively constant. Plus, lot more stuff happened in HoH that I can't just gloss over.
> 
> Translations:  
> Amico --> friend  
> Grazie sole --> thanks sunshine  
> Tesoro --> sweetheart/treasure (again, probably context? Any Italian speakers?)
> 
> I have an Italian friend, but I think she might have concerns for my well being if I ask her. Because she'll ask "well, why do you want to know?" and I'll be like "well... you see... SOLANGELO!! OMGs, they are the CUTEST thing I've ever seen..." yada yada yada. I'm under the impression that she's never even read PJO/HOO/TOA, so she will have no clue what I'm gushing about.
> 
> True story. Today, my 9:30 class was cancelled after I had ALREADY DRIVEN TO THE COMMUTER CAMPUS SCHOOL AND IT WAS 9:40 ish. Deep breaths... I'm calm. Anyway, I sat in my car and squealed at Solangelo memes, fan art, and headcanons on Pinterest. I had to collect myself before exiting to go to my next class.


	31. Stars (Annabeth XXXI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Annabeth woke to the sounds of Bob and Damasen talking quietly.

“-have the demigods given you? They have erased your old self, everything you were. Titans and giants … we are meant to be the foes of the gods and their children. Are we not? It is our fate.”

“Perhaps,” Bob said uncomfortably. “But… do you like our fate?”

“What a question. Does anyone like his fate?”

“I liked being Bob,” Bob murmured. “Before I remembered Iapetus.”

“Huh.”

“Damasen,” the Titan asked, “do you remember the sun?”

Annabeth swallowed the lump in her throat. How long had it been since she and Percy had taken their last look at the sun? She barely remembered what it looked like, and they had not been in Tartarus nearly as long as Damasen or Bob.

She heard the giant exhale through his nostrils. “Yes. It was yellow. When it touched the horizon, it turned the sky beautiful colours.”

“I miss the sun,” Bob said. “The stars, too. I would like to say hello to the stars again.”

“Stars…” Damasen said the word as if he’d forgotten its meaning. “Yes. They made silver patterns in the night sky. Bah. This is useless talk. We cannot–”

In the distance, the Maeonian drakon roared.

Percy sat bolt upright. “What? What – where – what?”

“We need to go,” Cassidy said seriously. “The giants and titans and monsters will be here soon."

Damasen tossed them two drakon-leather satchels. “Clothes, food, drink.”

“Wait!” Annabeth exclaimed. “The Prophecy of Seven.” She grabbed Damasen’s hand. “You have to come with us. The prophecy says foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. I thought it meant Romans and Greeks, but that’s not it. The line means us – demigods, a Titan, a giant. We need you to close the Doors!”

The drakon roared outside, closer this time. Damasen gently pulled his hand away.

“No, child,” he murmured. “My curse is here. I cannot escape it.”

“Yes, you can,” Annabeth said. “Don’t fight the drakon. Figure out a way to break the cycle! Find another fate. You said this is the only destination you can see. Picture us. Percy, Cassidy, Bob, and I. Find us when you’re ready. We can send you through the Doors before we close them. You can see the sunlight and the stars.”

“THE SEA GOD’S SON! HE IS CLOSE!” the voice of Polybotes shouted.

“Annabeth,” Percy said, tugging her arm. “Come on. We have to go now.”

Damasen took something from his belt. A sword of dragon bone. Her sword. “Go. Before it is too late.”

Annabeth took the sword and allowed Percy to drag her out of the house. She heard Damasen behind them, shouting his battle cry at the advancing drakon, his voice cracking with despair as he faced his old enemy yet again.

“Damasen,” Annabeth whispered.

“We have to keep moving,” Percy said to her. “Come on, Annabeth. He’ll come to us. You got through to him. I know you did.”

But Annabeth had forgotten the conversation she had overheard. The sun and the stars were foreign concepts to Bob and Damasen after centuries of being stuck in the dark pits of the Underworld.

And they didn’t deserve to be there.

Iapetus surely did, but he had changed. Had become Bob. Bob who was Percy’s friend, who was helping him and Annabeth get to the Doors of Death.

And oh gods the Doors.

She and Percy weren’t going through. That was a hard pill to swallow. They had friends who were counting on them pulling through and surviving. But it wasn’t meant to be. And Gaea was not meant to die by either Annabeth or Percy’s hands. Jason and Leo were the ones who had to do it.

She and Percy had once escaped Tartarus and looked up at the night sky.  _ Bob says hello _ , they had said. Perhaps she would ask Bob to say hello to the stars for her and Percy.

After a few hours of walking, the roars of Polybotes had faded away. Annabeth asked to stop for a minute.

“I… I just need to do something,” she mumbled, pulling a notebook and pen from her bag.

_ I’m so, so sorry _ , she began writing.  _ But it was necessary. I hope you can forgive us… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwww. That's one of the more heart wrenching lines in the series I think. At the end of House of Hades when Percy and Annabeth are back on the Argo II and they look up at the stars and say "Bob says hello." So of course there had to be a chapter about it.
> 
> On a more positive note, I have a fun chapter coming up. Well, kind of. Something we never got to see but I think should have been included.


	32. Storm or Fire (Piper XXXII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

It had been two days since they left Split, but now it seemed like the scepter Nico and Jason had returned with was bringing bad luck with it. The waves were choppy and it was freezing. Ice was forming on the rails and ropes of the ship.

As usual, Nico was no help.

“It’s fine,” he had said when Piper asked about it. “Don’t worry about the scepter. That’s not it.”

_ Don’t worry about the scepter _ . Hah. Easier said than done. The scepter practically radiated darkness. The black orb on top seemed to leach the color right out of the air, and the golden eagles at its base glinted coldly. Definitely some bad vibes.

Coach Hedge had taken one look at the thing, turned pale and announced that he was going to his room to console himself with Chuck Norris videos. (Although Piper suspected that he was actually making Iris-messages back home to his girlfriend Mellie; the coach had been acting very agitated about her lately, though he wouldn’t tell Piper what was going on.)

“We can’t talk up here,” Jason decided. “We’ll have to postpone the meeting.”

At Jason’s insistence, they had gathered to discuss strategy for when they got to Epirus, but clearly it wasn’t a good idea to do son on the deck. The wind whipped at their faces and frost spread across the deck.

Will was showing his inner sun god and was decked out in at least five layers of coats and sweatshirts.

“Get inside, you dork,” Nico rolled his eyes.

“Should I be honored that none of that was Italian?”

“You should be honored that any of us let you wear that many layers. You look like a snowman.”

Will left to go below deck in a huff. Nico’s eyes glinted triumphantly.

Despite what Nico said or did, Piper was pretty sure she knew exactly who Nico di Angelo was into. It was just a matter of getting him to admit it.

“Need to –” Hazel gagged and pointed below.

Nico nodded. “Yeah, go.”

“I’ll walk you down,” Frank offered, putting his arm around Hazel’s waist and helping her to the stairs.

Nico brushed some ice from his hair. “I’m going to go in too. Uh, I guess I should say something. I’ve been recording everything I can remember about this quest last time on Daedalus’ laptop. I don’t really have the whole technology thing figured out, but I’m trying to analyze the final battles. Well, the one at Camp and the actual final battle. I just thought someone else should know. Just in case.”

“Good idea,” Jason agreed. “But we won’t need it. We have you, Percy, and Annabeth. You guys aren’t dying on us.”

“Still feel better if you guys know,” Nico shrugged before disappearing down below.

Leo pulled a screwdriver from his belt. “So much for the big team meeting. Looks like it’s just us again.”

“Seems like it,” Piper nodded.

Jason squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be fine. We’re close to Epirus now. Another day or so, if Nico remembers right.”

“Yep.” Leo tinkered with his sphere, tapping and nudging one of the jewels on its surface. “By tomorrow morning, we’ll reach the western coast of Greece. Then another hour inland, and bang – House of Hades! I’ma get me the T-shirt!”

“Me too,” Jason grinned. “Hey! We should actually make som-” he stopped when Piper gave him a disapproving look.

“Guys,” she said, “I’ve been thinking about the Prophecy of Seven.”

“Like the fact that only three people survive?” Leo muttered.

Piper rolled her eyes. “Not that. Just… the second line.  _ To storm or fire the world must fall _ . The world has to mean Gaea, but based on what Percy and Annabeth said about the final battle… Leo’s fire and Jason or Thalia is storm.”

Jason’s hands clenched the ice cold railing. “I’ll be storm. I don’t want my sister to die.”

Piper bit her lip. “It’s storm  _ or _ fire though. It sounds like one of you is supposed to defeat Gaea. The other is supposed to die.” She paused. "Well, one of you _will_ die trying to defeat Gaea."

Leo looked uneasy. “I’m supposed to come back with that physician’s cure, Piper. Look, we shouldn’t worry about it right now. We’ll drive ourselves crazy, right? I mean, we still don’t know who the angel’s light is or what the key to Percy and Annabeth’s plight is. We don’t even know what the plight is because we all thought it was their fall into Tartarus, but obviously that happened.”

“I hope I’m wrong,” Piper said cautiously. “But the whole quest started with us finding Hera and waking that giant king Porphyrion. I have a feeling the war will end with us too. For better or worse.”

“Hey,” Jason said, “personally, I like us.”

“Agreed,” Leo said. “Us is my favourite people.”

Piper’s stomach suddenly churned. Something was off.

_ Get inside, you dork, _ Nico had said to Will. He rolled his eyes, but the concern was so obvious, Piper had figured out exactly how Nico felt about Will. Nico’s tone was not the teasing between friends, but rather a concerned ‘leave I don’t want to see you hurt’ tone.

_ Looks like it’s just us again, _ Leo said.

The cold wind, the mix of ice and rain. The way it seemed to be actually hostile. That smell in the air, the thick smell of…

“Snow!” Piper shouted. Every muscle in her body tensed. “Leo, sound the alarm.”

Piper hadn’t realized she was charmspeaking, but Leo immediately dropped his screwdriver and punched the alarm button. He frowned when nothing happened.

“Uh, it’s disconnected,” he remembered. “Festus is shut down. Gimme a minute to get the system back online.”

“We don’t have a minute! Fires – we need vials of Greek fire. Jason, call the winds. Warm, southerly winds.”

“Wait, what?” Jason stared at her in confusion. “Piper, what’s wrong?”

“It’s her!” Piper snatched up her dagger. “She’s back! We have to –”

Before she could finish, the boat listed to port. The temperature dropped so fast that the sails crackled with ice. The bronze shields along the rails popped like over-pressurized soda cans. Jason drew his sword, but it was too late. A wave of ice particles swept over him, coating him like a glazed doughnut and freezing him in place. Under a layer of ice, his eyes were wide with amazement.

“Leo! Flames! Now!” Piper yelled.

Leo’s right hand blazed, but the wind swirled around him and doused the fire. Leo clutched his Archimedes sphere as a funnel cloud of sleet lifted him off his feet.

“Hey!” he yelled. “Hey! Let me go!”

Piper ran towards him, but a voice in the storm said, “Oh, yes, Leo Valdez. I will let you go permanently.”

Leo shot skywards, like he’d been launched from a catapult. He disappeared into the clouds.

“No!” Piper shouted.

Standing amidships was a girl in a flowing dress of white silk, her mane of black hair pinned back with a circlet of diamonds. Her eyes were the colour of coffee, but without the warmth. Behind her stood her brothers – two young men with purple-feathered wings, stark white hair and jagged swords of Celestial bronze.

“So good to see you again, ma chère,” said Khione, the goddess of snow. “It’s time we had a very cold reunion.”

Piper was going to kill Nico if something back happened to her or her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just keep on keeping on with Nico ignoring the fact that stuff is going down around him and he has the knowledge to stop it. I didn't actually notice this until someone pointed it out, but now that they have... I love it!
> 
> Also, random thought. Was driving home today and heard a song on the radio. I was like "oh, that's a good Solangelo song" and then I was like, "ha, what if Percy forced Nico to sing a song at campfire karaoke or something" and then the next song that came on was Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake and I about died. I feel like Jason and Percy would definitely do this, Nico would glare at them and possibly throw a brick and microphone at them respectively, and then Will in all his terrible singing glory (Will can't sing, Will can't sing, Will cannot sing, he only reads books and he cannot sing, even if he's reading a how to sing book - haha, lemme know if you got that reference) would take the mic and force a bright red faced Nico to stay with him while he sang the song. I could not stop laughing. Although this is probably not very realistic, the song literally came on as soon as I got that idea in my head, and I couldn't help but imagine it.
> 
> Okay, random thought over. Looking back on this... my head is a strange place.
> 
> Also, y'all didn't think I was going to let Leo not get sent to Calypso, right? Team Leo for the win!


	33. Calypso (Leo XXXIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Leo wished Jason was with him. Khione had sent Leo flying into the air, and now that the clouds were parting, Leo could see a tiny island surrounded by water that was rapidly growing by the second. It was only a matter of time before he went  _ splat _ .

He was still clutching the Archimedes sphere, which didn’t surprise him. Unconscious or not, he would never let go of his most valuable possession. With a little manoeuvring, he managed to pull some duct tape from his tool belt and strap the sphere to his chest. That made him look like a low budget Iron Man, but at least he had both hands free. He started to work, furiously tinkering with the sphere, pulling out anything he thought would help from his magic tool belt: a drop cloth, metal extenders, some string and grommets.

Working while falling was almost impossible. The wind roared in his ears. It kept ripping tools, screws and canvas out of his hands, but finally he constructed a makeshift frame. He popped open a hatch on the sphere, teased out two wires and connected them to his crossbar.

How long until he hit the water? Maybe a minute?

He turned the sphere’s control dial, and it whirred into action. More bronze wires shot from the orb, intuitively sensing what Leo needed. Cords laced up the canvas drop cloth. The frame began to expand on its own. Leo pulled out a can of kerosene and a rubber tube and lashed them to the thirsty new engine that the orb was helping him assemble. Finally he made himself a rope halter and shifted so that the X-frame was attached to his back. The sea got closer and closer – a glittering expanse of slap-you-in-the-face death.

He yelled in defiance and punched the sphere’s override switch.

The engine coughed to life. The makeshift rotor turned. The canvas blades spun, but much too slowly. Leo’s head was pointed straight down at the sea – maybe thirty seconds to impact. At least nobody’s around, he thought bitterly, or I’d be a demigod joke forever. What was the last thing to go through Leo’s mind? The Mediterranean. And also, he decided that if he died, he was going to haunt Nico di Angelo for the rest of eternity.

Suddenly the orb got warm against his chest. The blades turned faster. The engine coughed, and Leo tilted sideways, slicing through the air.

“YES!” he yelled.

He had successfully created the world’s most dangerous personal helicopter. He shot towards the island in the distance, but he was still falling much too fast. The blades shuddered. The canvas screamed.

The beach was only a few hundred yards away when the sphere turned lava-hot and the helicopter exploded, shooting flames in every direction. If he hadn’t been immune to fire, Leo would have been charcoal. As it was, the midair explosion probably saved his life. The blast flung Leo sideways while the bulk of his flaming contraption smashed into the shore at full speed with a massive KA-BOOM!

“What are you doing? You blew up my dining table!”

_ He said he  _ did  _ die, but the physician’s cure brought him back. He came back with Calypso, _ Percy had said when the Argo II crew had first learned of the trio of time travelers. _ He swore on the Styx he’d go back and get her. No one’s ever been to Ogygia, her island, more than once. _

Okay, so this must be Calypso, but as far as Leo knew, he wasn’t supposed to be dead. Then again, Percy had said no one had ever been twice and that Leo swore to  _ go back _ for her. Implying that there was a time before.

“Uh, hi,” he managed. “I’m not really sure what’s going on. I just got launched into the sky and then I was falling and so I made this helicopter in midair, burst into flames halfway down, crash-landed, and barely survived. But, you know, who cares about that when a table just got destroyed!”

The girl, Calypso, clenched her fists. “REALLY?” she shouted at the sky. “You want to make my curse even worse? Zeus! Hephaestus! Hermes! Have you no shame?”

Leo didn’t feel safe enough to interrupt the girl’s shouts. So  _ this _ was the girl he was going to swear on the Styx to go back for.

“Show yourself!” the girl yelled at the sky. “It’s not bad enough I am exiled? It’s not bad enough you take away the few good heroes I’m allowed to meet? You think it’s funny to send me this – this charbroiled runt of a boy to ruin my tranquillity? This is NOT FUNNY! Take him back!”

“Hey!” Leo snapped. “Hi, Sunshine? I’m right here. Look. I get it. You’re not happy I crashed into your table. I’m not happy I fell out of the sky. Can we, I dunno, move on?”

She growled. “Do  _ not _ call me Sunshine. Now come with me so I can get you off my island.”

Leo mused about the myth of Calypso. The Odyssey  _ had _ been one of the more compelling stories. He could kinda relate to the guy. Always running, trying to get home…

Calypso lived on an island. Check. She was cursed to not be able to leave. The exact specifics of her curse weren’t coming to his mind, but he did remember that she fell in love with Odysseus. Then the guy left to go back to his wife. So deep into his thoughts, Leo didn’t realize Calypso had stopped walking.

“Gah!” Calypso grabbed out at Leo to hold herself up. She let go quickly though. “Okay. Now, tell me you want to leave.”

“Leave?” Leo repeated. Then his eyes widened. “Oh gods. Khione! She attacked my ship! My friends are in trouble!”

“Fine,” Calypso snapped. “Say ‘I want to leave Ogygia.’”

Leo eyed the water dubiously. Why did he want to come back for her? This interaction sucked. If this was how she was going to be, he didn’t think he would  _ bother _ . “Okay. I want to leave Oh-gee-gee-ah,” he pronounced carefully.

She exhaled, clearly relieved. “Good. In a moment, a magical raft will appear. It will take you wherever you want to go.”

They waited in silence. No magical raft appeared. They waited an hour. Or at least what felt like an hour.

“I don’t think any raft is coming,” Leo pointed out. Then he winced. He could practically see the steam coming out of Calypso’s ears.

“This is wrong.” Calypso glared at the sky. “This is completely wrong!” She gave Leo a glare as well, then stormed off inland.

“Hey!” Leo called after her. He hurried to follow. “Wait up!”

.

“Please go away.” Calypso’s voice was wobbly and it sounded like she was crying.

Leo felt kinda bad. He had no idea how he was supposed to handle this situation. A little warning from Nico would have been appreciated, but apparently the kid couldn’t be bothered. He was really starting to tick Leo off.

“Are you okay?” he found himself asking.

Calypso looked at him. Her cheeks were wet and her eyes were red. “Just leave. It’s none of your business. No raft came. I… just go somewhere else on this gods forsaken island. If we have to spend the rest of forever on this island together, I’d rather it be on opposite sides.”

“Hold up,” Leo said, shaking his head. “I  _ have _ to get off here. There’s got to be a way. Every problem has a fix, you know.”

“Not every problem,” Calypso said quietly. “I am cursed to spend the rest of my immortal life on this island because I supported my father.”

“Who’s your father?”

Calypso hummed. “Oh, Atlas. He fought against the gods, and I supported him.” She drew a finger through the dirt. “I was imprisoned here. About a year ago, the gods vowed to forgive their enemies and offer amnesty. Supposedly Percy made them promise, but here I am.”

Percy knew. Percy  _ knew _ the gods did not keep their promise. If he was from the future and he knew Leo had to rescue Calypso… he should have  _ done _ something. Leo felt a surge of anger at Percy. It didn't last long though because in the short time he had known Percy, the son of Poseidon seemed like the kind of guy who did everything he did for others rather than himself. Yet, he had known Calypso wasn't freed. Why hadn't he done anything?

“Look, uh, Calypso, right? I get why you’re angry. You probably never want to see another demigod again,” Leo shifted awkwardly. “But I think Percy might be pretty ticked off if he learned about what the gods did. Well, didn’t do.”

Calypso raised an eyebrow. “And you know Percy?”

“Yeah,” Leo swallowed. “He’s part of the quest I was on. We… we’re trying to close the Doors of Death. Him and Annabeth went… well, they picked the harder side.”

Calypso’s face darkened, and Leo wasn’t sure if it was because she knew what he was talking about or if it was because he mentioned Percy’s girlfriend.

“I’m going to get you off this island,” Leo blurted. “I don’t know how, but I will.”

“No you will not,” Calypso shook her head. “You can’t even leave. If the raft will not appear, that means the gods have closed Ogygia. I’m sorry, but you are stuck here the same as me.”

.

Calypso wasn’t  _ that _ bad, Leo supposed. She had her invisible servants leave food for him, and she made him new clothes. But she pretty much left him alone.

Leo spent a few minutes making a compass, but it just spun around no matter what. He had a sneaking suspicion that the bronze astrolabe from Bologna would have been helpful. Odysseus probably made it to try and find Calypso.

The rest of the time after that failed attempt was spent making himself a forge after he found large sheets of metal on the island.

That’s when Calypso decided to visit.

“What are you doing?” she shouted. “What is all that noise?”

“I’m making myself a boat to get off this island,” he answered promptly.

Calypso scowled. She set the basket near his bedroll. “You haven’t eaten in two days. Take a break and eat.”

“Two days?” Leo hadn’t even noticed. He was surprised that Calypso had noticed. “Thanks,” he muttered. “I’ll, uh, try to hammer more quietly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Percy, you knew Calypso was still stuck! How could you leave her there?
> 
> On a semi-related note, does anyone know where I can get some good PJO/HOO/TOA wall decals? Like quotes and stuff. Because I'm looking for some quotes to put up in my room and I'm pretty sure the two dollar ones I found are for like water bottles and computer cases. I need removable ones.
> 
> Also, fun (ish) chapter next!


	34. The Note from Hell (Rachel XXXIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable words from Camp Half-Blood Confidential and recognizable scenes from House of Hades
> 
> AKA, the fun (ish) chapter I promised. Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

It was a normal day at Camp Half-Blood. Well, as normal a day as one could get at a camp focused solely on training the demigod children of the Greek gods how to sword fight and kill monsters.

As the oracle and only mortal at the camp, Rachel typically sat at various tables. Usually Poseidon with Percy, Athena with Annabeth, or Apollo with the Apollo campers. Since Percy was missing, she hadn’t sat anywhere but at the Athena table with Annabeth. Now that Annabeth had left with Jason, Piper, and Leo for the Roman camp to get Percy and the others from the big quest, Rachel had been sitting with the Apollo kids.

And then Annabeth and Jason showed up with an unconscious Nico di Angelo and had shoved him towards Will Solace to get healed. Then they disappeared back to the ship to resume their quest.

Mostly, the campers were disappointed that they didn’t get to see Percy.

But wait. There’s more.

Only hours after the Argo II had left, the camp was under attack from two giants. Nico had come sprinting out of the infirmary and promptly shadow traveled Will away, knocking himself unconcious for the giants to snatch the son of Hades and leave just as quickly as they had appeared. Will was still missing.

Needless to say, most of their spirits had been low.

Until dinner one night when Connor Stoll shouted in alarm.

“What is it?” Chiron asked, grasping his archer bow.

Connor swallowed. “Uh, Travis? Remember those Tartarus tongs?” He unhooked a pair of barbecue tongs from his pants. He looked confused and worried as he reached into the sacrificial fire to grab… a note. He glanced over at the Apollo table at Rachel. “Uh, Rachel? I think this is for you.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Me? Is this a prank, Connor?”

“No!” Connor protested. “That’s what the note says! It says:  _ Connor, Give this to Rachel. Not a prank. Don’t be a moron. Love, Annabeth _ .”

Rachel jumped up and ran to Connor. “Why didn’t you say that?” she asked furiously. “If Annabeth’s sending us a note, it’s probably important.”

“Rachel?” Travis Stoll began hesitantly. “I don’t think you’re going to like what’s in that note.”

Rachel waved him off. “Don’t be silly. When have we ever gotten good news? I just mean it could be that they need help or that they’re on their way.” She opened the note.

“Read it aloud,” Chiron requested.

“ _ Rachel _ ,” she began. “ _ It’s Annabeth. I know you probably have questions about how I’m getting this to you via Connor Stoll via flames. Part of the quest is to close the Doors of Death. Nico said the mortal side is in Epirus, but the other side is in Tartarus. _ ” Rachel’s face turned deathly pale. “Connor? What did you call those tongs again?”

“That’s what Travis was trying to say,” Connor said miserably. “When we found them there was an inscription. It said ‘For plucking the Tartarus napkin from the fire. One use only.’”

“Tartarus?” Clarisse LaRue repeated. “What is that supposed to mean, Connor?” she asked dangerously.

“ _ You can probably guess where I’m going with this, _ ” Rachel continued, voice trembling. “ _ Percy and I are going to close the Doors on the Tartarus side. _ ” Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh gods!”

“Percy and Annabeth are in TARTARUS?” Malcolm Pace from Athena shouted.

Clarisse was oddly quiet. She looked like she was torn between acting indifferent and showing worry.

Chiron placed a hand over his heart and made a gesture like he was warning off evil. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. “Continue, Rachel.”

Rachel nodded and blinked back her tears. “ _ I need you to do something for me. Go to Camp Jupiter. Tell Reyna she has to meet the others in Greece. She must be the one to bring the Athena Parthenos to Camp. _ ”

“The Athena Parthenos?” Malcolm shouted again. “Annabeth found the Athena Parthenos?”

Rachel allowed a smile to grace her face. “I think so. She must have. But I don’t understand why this Reyna has to be the one to bring the statue.”

“It’s because of the bad blood between the Greeks and the Romans,” Kayla Knowles from Apollo explained. “There’s a legend that it was the Romans who took and hid the statue. It must be because of that. It could heal the rift between us.”

“ _ Tell her to send the Roman Legion. Gaea is going to attack Camp Half-Blood on August 1. _ ”

“What?” Clarisse gapped. “Gaea’s attacking us in less than a month? And Annabeth expects us to  _ work _ with Romans?”

“She and Percy are in Tartarus, Clarisse,” Rachel snapped. “Tartarus. If they asked us to make pigs fly, I would figure out a way to make it happen. Now, let me finish.” She glared across the silent dining pavilion before resuming. “ _ Will and Nico are okay by the way. I suppose the last time you saw them, Nico shadow traveled Will away and two giants kidnapped Nico. They’re on the Argo II. _ ”

“Oh thank the gods,” Austin Lake from Apollo said in relief. “We’ve been worried sick about Will… and Nico,” he added quickly. “Both of them.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “ _ If you get in contact with them, give them our love. Tell them we’re sorry, but it was our choice. Someone had to close the Doors. All our love, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson _ .”

“That sounds like goodbye,” Lacy from Aphrodite whispered. “But they’ll get out, right? If anyone can do it, they can.”

Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat. “I… I don’t know. As long as I’ve known them, Percy and Annabeth don’t give up. But Annabeth’s a daughter of Athena. She’s probably just planning for… for any outcome. Just in case they don’t make it out… they want us to make sure Jason, Piper, Leo, Will, Nico, and the other people on the quest don’t blame themselves.” Even as she said it, it sounded weak to Rachel.

“Campers!” Chiron called, stomping a hoof on the ground. He looked at them with remorse. “I know this is a shock to us all. However, Annabeth and Percy have made a request of us.” He looked at Rachel. “Rachel, they asked you to go to Reyna. I would ask you to take someone with you.”

“I… I’ll take-” Rachel cut herself off and glanced wildly around. “Grover? Oh gods, where’s Grover?”

“Blaah,” a familiar bleating grumbled. “I’m here. Sorry, I’m late.” Grover paused when he saw the sad looks on everyone’s faces. “What happened?”

“Grover,” Rachel started, voice shaking. “I… we just got a note from Percy and Annabeth.”

Grover perked up. “You did? What did they say?”

“Well, they gave me a job, and I was hoping you’d come with me,” Rachel said, starting with the lighter news. “I have to find Reyna at Camp Jupiter.”

“Of course!” Grover agreed. “I’d be honored, Rachel.”

Rachel bit her lip. “Grover. The note appeared in the fire. Percy and Annabeth are… well, they’re in Tartarus.”

She watched as Grover’s face fell. He looked shocked and frozen in place.

“What?” he whispered. “Rachel, is this a joke? Because it’s not funny.”

“ _ And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death _ ,” Rachel quoted her own prophecy. “According to Nico, one side is in Epirus and the other is in… Tartarus.” She handed him the note.

Grover read it frantically. “Oh gods,” he said when he was done. “Rachel…”

Chiron walked over. He gestured for Rachel and Grover to follow him. “I think we should continue this in private.”

Once inside the Big House, Rachel turned into a sobbing mess. Grover wasn’t much better.

“Chiron, I don’t think they plan on coming out alive,” Rachel cried. “How are they going to manage that? If the Doors close on both sides… And all the monsters down there! What if they’re dead?”

“I believe Annabeth and Percy can make it to the Doors and close them,” Chiron said firmly. “Both of them are powerful together. Now then. You should set off for California immediately. When you return, we will send word to the Argo II. I do not know if they will know to expect Reyna.”

.

“O Iris, goddess of the rainbow,” Rachel said, tossing a drachma into the rainbow. “Show us the crew of the Argo II.”

An image faded into view.

“Rachel?” Will Solace gasped. He hurried over closer and waved. “What’s up?”

“You know your siblings have been worried about you,” Rachel said with a frown. “Why didn’t you IM us?”

Will winced. “Slipped my mind. Stuff happened. Rescued Nico from some giants.” His face fell. “Oh. Speaking of stuff that happened, I guess I should tell you that Percy and Annabeth-”

“-are in Tartarus, yeah,” Rachel snapped. “Annabeth sent us a note.”

“She what?” Will exclaimed. He looked over his shoulder. “Nico, what the Hades! Why didn’t you say anything about that?”

“Please stop using my father’s name,” Nico di Angelo’s voice grumbled. His face appeared next to Will. “ And you remember Jason’s dream, you dork. Hi, Rachel. What did the note say?”

Rachel remembered why she was calling in the first place. “Right. Uh, Reyna’s supposed to meet you.”

“We know,” Nico scowled. “Jason left her a note.”

Well, okay then. Rachel was  _ not _ going to ask about the scowl.

“Where is everyone?” Rachel asked.

“Jason’s meeting with the South Wind for like the fifth day in a row,” Will answered. He looked irritated. “Apparently Jason, Piper, and L-leo managed to get on Khione’s bad side. She kinda blew us up with an air bomb. So the ship’s needing repairs.”

“Leo can’t fix it?” Rachel asked in confusion.

Nico and Will exchanged looks.

“Leo’s still missing,” Nico finally said. “Khione sent him away. We’re hoping he gets back soon, but-”

“We’re leaving!”

Will frowned. “Piper, Leo isn’t back yet.”

“He’s in Malta apparently,” Piper’s voice said. She appeared in the Iris message. “Oh! Rachel! Hi!”

Rachel smiled at her. “Hi, Piper. I was calling to let you guys know Reyna’s on her way, but I guess you already knew that.”

“Jason saw you meeting her in a dream,” Piper nodded. “How did they manage to get a note to you?”

“I have no idea,” Rachel said, shaking her head. “But I’m worried. The way they worded it… it sounds like they aren’t planning on coming back.” She pulled the note from her pocket. “ _ If you get in contact with them, give them our love. Tell them we’re sorry, but it was our choice. Someone had to close the Doors. All our love, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson _ .”

Nico looked furious. “Excuse me,” he snapped. He disappeared from the message.

“Piper? Will? What’s going on?” a boy’s voice called.

“Why did my brother just storm out?” a girl’s voice asked.

Piper bit her lip. “Frank, Hazel, this is Rachel Dare.”

Two faces appeared in the message. A girl with dark skin, curly brown hair, and golden eyes smiled at Rachel uncertainly. The boy next to her was muscular and looked Chinese. He offered Rachel a friendly smile.

“Hi,” Rachel greeted them. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” the girl, Hazel, said. “I’m Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. Uh, I’m from about the same time as Nico.”

Ah. So a girl out of time. That was seeming to be a trend with Hades/Pluto kids.

“Frank Zhang,” the boy introduced. “Son of Mars.”

“I’m Rachel Dare,” Rachel laughed. “Regular old mortal. That just happens to host the Oracle of Delphi.”

Hazel giggled. “Regular. Of course.”

Rachel looked at Will. “I guess I should let you guys go. Good luck with the rest of your quest. And when you see Percy and Annabeth again, let them know the Romans are on their way. They told us about how Gaea’s going to attack Camp on the first of August. Greeks and Romans will be waiting to fight the earth herself.” She waved a hand through the message, breaking the connection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I wish this had been a chapter in House of Hades. Like, what was Connor's reaction? What was Rachel's reaction to the request? How did Grover react to finding out his two best friends fell into Tartarus? And how in Hades name did anyone expect the Seven to know Reyna was on her way? Like, yeah, Jason had the dream, but no one at Camp Half-Blood knew that.
> 
> Anyway, that's that. So yeah.


	35. An Oath to Keep (Leo XXXV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades.
> 
> In the spirit of love, here's a little Caleo chapter.

“I brought you-”

Leo jumped, dropping the wires he was holding. “Bronze bulls, girl! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Calypso rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t sneaking. I was bringing you these.” She showed him the clothes that were folded over her arm: a new pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, an army fatigue jacket. “You keep burning through the clothes I give you, so I weaved something less flammable.”

“These won’t burn?” He picked up the jeans, but they felt just like normal denim.

“They are completely fireproof,” Calypso promised. “They’ll stay clean and expand to fit you, should you ever become less scrawny.”

“Thanks.” He stared at the clothes. “Guess you’re really warming up to me.”

Calypso’s face got red. “You are the most insufferable person I have ever met! I was only returning a favor. You fixed my fountain.”

“I don’t like it when things don’t work right.”

“And the curtains across the cave entrance?”

“The rod wasn’t level.”

“And my gardening tools?”

“Look, I just sharpened the shears. Cutting vines with a dull blade is dangerous. And the pruners needed to be oiled at the hinge, and –”

“Oh, yeah,” Calypso said, in a pretty good imitation of his voice. “You’re really warming up to me.” She smiled. “What are you building?”

“Something to see what my friends are doing without the awesome McShizzle,” Leo said absently, returning to his work. “That would be me, by the way.”

Calypso shook her head. “That’s impossible. This island is hidden, cut off from the world by strong magic. Time doesn’t even flow the same here.”

“I live by the motto that everything’s impossible until someone does it,” Leo answered. “Watch and learn, Sunshine.”

The bronze plate sparked. Smoke billowed from the sphere. A flash fire raced up Leo’s sleeve. He pulled off his shirt, threw it down and stomped on it. He could tell Calypso was trying not to laugh, but she was shaking with the effort.

“Not a word,” Leo warned.

“Any luck,” Calypso asked, ignoring Leo.

“Uh… no. Wait. Hang on.”

The screen glowed. In the air above it, holographic pictures shimmered to life. Leo recognized the commons at Camp Half-Blood. There was no sound, but Clarisse LaRue from the Ares Cabin was yelling orders at the campers, forming them into lines. Leo’s brethren from Cabin Nine hurried around, fitting everyone with armour and passing out weapons.  Even Chiron the centaur was dressed for war. He trotted up and down the ranks, his plumed helmet gleaming, his legs decked in bronze greaves. His usual friendly smile was gone, replaced with a look of grim determination.  In the distance, Greek triremes floated on Long Island Sound, prepped for war. Along the hills, catapults were being primed. Satyrs patrolled the fields, and riders on pegasi circled overhead, alert for aerial attacks.

“Your friends?” Calypso asked.

Leo nodded. His face felt numb. “They’re preparing for war.”

“Against whom?”

“I think Gaea,” Leo said, mouth dry. “Oh gods. The Romans are there too.”

The Romans were very different from the Greeks. While he Greek demigods had armour, the Romans looked like they were born to wear their armour. Some were sparring, others were talking with some of the Greeks.  Off to one side, Leo could see Clarisse had successfully ordered the campers into formation and was now talking with a few other head counselors as well as Roman officers. A golden eagle on top of a long pole glinted in the hands of one of the Romans.

“Sweet,” Leo grinned. “According to Percy, that thing shoots lightning.”

The image shifted and suddenly it was Reyna flying through a storm on the back of a pegasus. Her eyes were hard as she pushed forward through the storm.

“Jason’s dream,” Leo muttered. “Oh gods. I hope Reyna gets his message.”

“Who was that?” Calypso asked tersely as the mirror went dark.

Leo frowned. “Reyna. She's a praetor at Camp Jupiter. Jason, one of my friends, had a dream. He said that Annabeth sent a note to Rachel, the Oracle, saying that Reyna had to meet us in Greece so she could take the Athena Parthenos back to camp.” He glared at the mirror. “I need to see more!”

_ NEED _ , a voice rumbled in the ground beneath his feet. Leo staggered, suddenly feeling like he was standing on the surface of a trampoline.  _ NEED is an overused word _ . A swirling human figure erupted from the sand – Leo’s least favourite goddess, the Mistress of Mud, the Princess of Potty Sludge, Gaia herself.

Leo threw a pair of pliers at her. Unfortunately she wasn’t solid and they passed right through. Her eyes were closed, but she didn’t look asleep, exactly. She had a smile on her dust-devil face, as if she was intently listening to her favourite song. Her sandy robes shifted and folded, reminding Leo of the undulating fins on that stupid shrimpzilla monster they’d fought in the Atlantic. For his money, though, Gaia was uglier.

_ You want to live _ , Gaia said.  _ You want to join your friends. But you do not need this, my poor boy. _

_ It would make no difference. Your friends will die, regardless _ .

Leo’s legs shook. He hated it, but whenever this witch appeared he felt like he was eight years old again, trapped in the lobby of his mom’s machine shop, listening to Gaia’s soothing evil voice while his mother was locked inside the burning warehouse, dying from heat and smoke.

“What I don’t need,” he growled, “is more lies from you, Dirt Face. You told me my great granddad died in the 1960s. Wrong! You told me I couldn’t save my friends in Rome. Wrong! You told me a lot of things.”

Gaia’s laughter was a soft rustling sound, like gravel trickling down a hill in the first moments of an avalanche.  _ I tried to help you make better choices. You could have saved yourself. But you defied me at every step. You built your ship. You joined that foolish quest. Now you are trapped here, helpless, while the mortal world dies. _

Leo’s hands burst into flame. He wanted to melt Gaia’s sandy face to glass. Then he felt Calypso’s hand on his shoulder.

“Gaia.” Her voice was stern and steady. “You are not welcome.”

Leo wished he could sound as confident as Calypso. Then he remembered that this annoying fifteen-year-old girl was actually the immortal daughter of a Titan.

_ Ah, Calypso _ . Gaia raised her arms as if for a hug.  _ Still here, I see, despite the gods’ promises. Why do you think that is, my dear grandchild? Are the Olympians being spiteful, leaving you with no company except this undergrown fool? Or have they simply forgotten you, because you are not worth their time? _

Calypso stared straight through the swirling face of Gaia, all the way to the horizon.

_ Yes _ , Gaia murmured sympathetically.  _ The Olympians are faithless. They do not give second chances. Why do you hold out hope? You supported your father, Atlas, in his great war. You knew that the gods must be destroyed. Why do you hesitate now? I offer you a chance that Zeus would never give you. _

“Where were you these last three thousand years?” Calypso asked. “If you are so concerned with my fate, why do you visit me only now?”

Gaia turned up her palms.  _ The earth is slow to wake. War comes in its own time. But do not think it will pass you by on Ogygia. When I remake the world, this prison will be destroyed as well _ .

“Ogygia destroyed?” Calypso shook her head, as if she couldn’t imagine those two words going  together.

_ You do not have to be here when that happens _ , Gaia promised.  _ Join me now. Kill this boy. Spill his blood upon the earth, and help me to wake. I will free you and grant you any wish. Freedom. Revenge against the gods. Even a prize. Would you still have the demigod Percy Jackson? I will spare him for you. I will raise him from Tartarus. He will be yours to punish or to love, as you choose. Only kill this trespassing boy. Show your loyalty. _

Several scenarios went through Leo’s head – none of them good. He was positive Calypso would strangle him on the spot, or order her invisible wind servants to chop him into a Leo purée. Why wouldn’t she? Gaia was making her the ultimate deal – kill one annoying guy, get a handsome one free!

Calypso thrust her hand towards Gaia in a three-fingered gesture Leo recognized from Camp Half-Blood: the Ancient Greek ward against evil.

“This is not just my prison, Grandmother. It is my home. And you are the trespasser.”

The wind ripped Gaia’s form into nothingness, scattering the sand into the blue sky.

Leo swallowed. “Uh, don’t take this the wrong way, but you didn’t kill me. Are you crazy?”

Calypso’s eyes smouldered with anger, but for once Leo didn’t think the anger was aimed at him.

“Your friends must need you, or else Gaia would not ask for your death.”

“I – uh, yeah. I guess.”

“Then we have work to do,’ she said. ‘We must get you back to your ship.”

.

Leo started to understand the prophecy a little more. Something that quite frankly, scared him. He was pretty sure that if Percy or Annabeth had known this, they would have said something when the topic of his death and resurrection came up. So Leo was definitely under the impression that he took this secret to his grave. Twice.

The astrolabe in Bologna. He needed to find that so he could come back and rescue Calypso, but he also needed a crystal from Ogygia. Not to mention the whole  _ to storm or fire _ thing. And if things go right, the world was going to fall to fire. Leo would die, and use the Physician’s cure to come back to life.

Calypso had blown up when he mentioned coming back. But considering  _ she _ was stuck on this island, he had no idea why she cared if someone tried to get her off and failed. At least he knew he could do it, but he couldn’t tell her that.

Then the boat appeared. Leo’s heart sank. Despite knowing he left the island and returned to get Calypso, he never really entertained the idea that she might have fallen for him. She was way out of his league. She could do much better than him. And according to the trio of time travelers, Leo was destined to die a second time in a few months if the war with Gaea goes south. He would leave Calypso alone. Just like Percy and Odysseus.

“You aren’t coming back here,” Calypso insisted. “So don’t give me any empty promises.”

“How about a full promise?” he said. “Because I’m definitely –”

She grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss, which effectively shut him up. Calypso pushed him away. “That didn’t happen.”

“Okay.” His voice sounded an octave higher than usual.

“Get out of here.”

“Okay.”

She turned, wiping her eyes furiously, and stormed up the beach, the breeze tousling her hair. Leo wanted to call to her, but the sail caught the full force of the wind and the raft cleared the beach. He struggled to align the guidance console. By the time Leo looked back, the island of Ogygia was a dark line in the distance, their campfire pulsing like a tiny orange heart. His lips still tingled from the kiss.

_ An oath to keep with a final breath _ . The one line Percy, Annabeth, and Nico had no idea what it meant. The oath he was going to make to get Calypso off that island.

“I’m coming back for you, Calypso,” he said to the night wind. “I swear it on the River Styx.”

A clap of thunder sealed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww. We love Caleo.
> 
> Okay, so about the whole no one knows what the oath to keep with a final breath part means because so many people died and so many promises were made. Not to mention, Leo never tells anyone that he figured out that his oath is the one in the prophecy. So, yeah. That's why no one knows.
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day, again!


	36. Choices (Jason XXXVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Generally, the quest had been shaping up to be a whole new level of strange. First, Annabeth and Percy say that they and Nico are from the future. Okay. Jason could roll with that. Might make things easier. Then, the two aforementioned Percy and Annabeth decided it was in the best interest to jump into Tartarus voluntarily. Okay. Close the Doors of Death. Jason could respect their choice even if he didn’t agree with them sacrificing themselves. Then, Leo got tossed into the sky and never came down. Slightly less okay seeing as Nico knew what was going to happen. Finally, Jason was faced with a choice he’d rather not answer yet.

The god of the South Wind, Auster, asked him to pick. Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. And that sucked.

In his heart, Jason knew he wanted to stay with Piper and Camp Half-Blood, but ever since he found out about his coming demise, he had forced himself to be okay with not seeing either Camp ever again. He didn’t want to get his hopes up.

Yet, he  _ had _ to choose. He had to be decisive. And now they were on their way to Malta to find Leo.

What Notus had said when Jason chose Greek… it worried him.

_ When the choice comes again - storm of fire - remember me. And do not despair. _

According to everything, Leo was fire. And Leo was going to be the one to save the world by destroying Gaea.

“Leo’s here!” Jason exclaimed, pointing at a makeshift raft. The glint of Celestial bronze gave it away.

.

Leo was waiting for them. 

Piper nearly knocked him out of his chair with a hug. “Leo! Gods, where have you been?”

“Valdez!” Coach Hedge grinned. Then he seemed to remember he had a reputation to protect and he forced a scowl. “You ever disappear like that again, you little punk, I’ll knock you into next month!”

Frank patted Leo on the back so hard it made him wince.

Hazel kissed Leo on the cheek. “We thought you were dead!”

Leo mustered a faint smile. “Hey, guys. Nah, nah, I’m good.” His eyes caught sight of Nico and then narrowed. “So. You knew about all this.”

“Yep,” Nico nodded. “This is the way it has to happen.”

“You knew the gods backed out on their promise.”

What was Leo talking about? Jason looked closer at his friend. Leo wouldn’t meet their eyes. His hands were perfectly still on the table. Leo’s hands were never still. All the nervous energy had drained right out of him, replaced by a kind of wistful sadness. Leo was heartsick. And he was mad at Nico.

Nico looked away. “I’m sorry, Leo. You’ll just have to trust us.”

“Trust you,” Leo snorted. “Right.”

As the others grabbed chairs from the nearby tables, Jason leaned in and squeezed his friend’s shoulder.

“Hey, man,” he said, “what happened?”

Leo’s eyes swept around the group. The message was clear: Not here. Not in front of everyone.

“I got marooned,” Leo said. “Long story. How about you guys? What happened with Khione?”

Coach Hedge snorted. “What happened? Piper happened! I’m telling you, this girl has skills!”

“Coach…” Piper protested.

Jason tuned out the rest of the conversation. He offered brief words when someone asked him something, but he mostly focused on Leo. Leo was heartsick which meant that he was marooned not just anywhere. He was marooned on Calypso’s island.

When Percy and Annabeth had told them Leo brough Calypso with him to Olympus, they didn’t really elaborate. Jason never really thought about the  _ why _ Leo might rescue Calypso. Apparently, he got his answer now though.

“-still wondering, why Malta? I just kinda ended up here on the raft,” Leo was saying.

“Says here Malta was where Calypso lived,” Frank said, tapping his brochure. “Maybe so you know where to go to rescue her later?”

Leo’s face drained of blood ever so slightly. “Oh? Really?” he asked cooly, but to Jason his voice sounded a little high pitched. He coughed. “Uh, we should get going. We’ve got work to do!” He stood up. “Ships to fix!” Leo said. “Festus to check! Earth goddesses to punch in the face! What are we waiting for? Leo’s back!” He spread his arms and grinned. He was making a brave attempt, but Jason could see the sadness lingering in his eyes.

“Leo’s right,” Jason said. “We should get going.”

Everybody took the cue. They started wrapping up their food and finishing their drinks.

Suddenly, Hazel gasped. “Guys…” She pointed to the northeast horizon. At first, Jason saw nothing but the sea. Then a streak of darkness shot into the air like black lightning – as if pure night had torn through the daytime.

“I don’t see anything,” Coach Hedge grumbled.

“Me neither,” Piper said.

Jason scanned his friends’ faces. Most of them just looked confused. Nico was the only other one who seemed to have noticed the black lightning.

Nico had a grave expression. “The House of Hades is open for business.”

A few seconds later, a rumbling sound washed over them like distant artillery.

“It’s begun,” Hazel said.

“What has?” Leo asked.

When the next flash happened, Hazel’s gold eyes darkened like foil in fire. “Gaia’s final push,” she said. “The Doors of Death are working overtime. Her forces are entering the mortal world en masse.”

“We have to go,” Nico said urgently. “Now.”

Jason set his jaw. “We’ll make it there fast. We’ve got Leo back. He’ll give us the speed we need.”

Leo managed a crooked grin. “Time to fly, boys and girls,” he said. “Uncle Leo’s still got a few tricks up his sleeves!”

.

“So I’m sorry about storming off yesterday,” Nico said awkwardly as he twisted his silver skull ring. “And also pretty much the whole journey. I guess I could have been a little more helpful.”

“Yeah,” Leo agreed. “You could have.”

Nico sighed. “Okay. Uh, for Leo and Jason’s benefit, we got an Iris message from Rachel Dare at Camp. She read us a line from Annabeth’s letter.”

“She said that Annabeth asked her to give us their love,” Will continued. He glanced at Nico worriedly. “And to tell us sorry, but it was their choice.”

Jason was frozen. “That sounds like a goodbye. Are you  _ sure _ that’s what…” he trailed off, seeing Nico and Will’s serious faces. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “No way. I… I don’t understand.”

“Percy won’t call for Bob,” Nico said flatly. “If I know him as well as I do, I know he won’t. He won’t let him get stuck down there again.”

“But the prophecy,” Hazel protested. “ _ Seven half-bloods shall answer the call _ . They  _ have _ to come back!”

A chill ran down Jason’s spin. “Seven did,” he realized. “There’s been seven the whole time. Me, Piper, Leo, Frank, Hazel,” he looked at Will and Nico, “and you two. So are you part of the seven or is it still Percy and Annabeth?”

Will’s jaw dropped and he whipped his head to look at Nico.

“It’s still them,” Nico said confidently. “ _ Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death _ . That’s Percy and Annabeth. Will and I are just… here. Besides, I’ll be out of your hair soon. When Reyna gets here, I’ll be shadow traveling her back to Camp.”

“All the way?” Jason raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you can do that?” He paused. “Stupid question. You already did it, right?”

Nico smiled. “Yes. It took a while, but we managed it. I’ve been practicing so I don’t get as tired as I did before.”

“So we are going to get them back?” Piper asked hopefully.

Nico ignored her.

Jason tried not to let it bother him that Nico didn’t give her an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Nico seems pretty sure that he and Will are not part of the Seven. What do you think?


	37. Not the Walking Dead (Percy XXXVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Unlike last time, Percy felt amazing as they trudged towards the heart of Tartarus.

He looked like himself. He didn’t look like bleached leather pulled over sticks. His legs didn’t dissolve into smoke at every step. He did not look like an extra from The Walking Dead.

Thank. The. Gods.

According to Cassidy, to other monsters Percy and Annabeth looked like empousai. Percy was tempted to ask if there actually were male empousai, but decided against it. He wasn’t sure if he would like the answer.

Spread to the horizon was an army of monsters – flocks of winged arai, tribes of lumbering Cyclopes, clusters of floating evil spirits. Thousands of baddies, maybe tens of thousands, all milling restlessly, pressing against one another, growling and fighting for space – like the locker area of an overcrowded school between classes, if all the students were ’roid-raging mutants who smelled really bad.

“Almost there,” Percy heard Annabeth mutter. “Almost there.”

Bob grinned. “Yes, that is good news! Death is close.”

“The Doors of Death are close,” Annabeth corrected. “Let’s watch the phrasing.”

They might be planning to spend the rest of their lives in Tartarus, but Percy was hoping that was longer rather than shorter. He wasn’t really in a hurry to get painfully shredded by a bunch of monsters. Death was hopefully a long way off.

A few feet away, a group of empousai tore into the carcass of a gryphon while other gryphons flew around them, squawking in outrage. A six-armed Earthborn and a Laistrygonian giant pummelled each other with rocks, though Percy wasn’t sure if they were fighting or just messing around. A dark wisp of smoke – Percy guessed it must be an eidolon – seeped into a Cyclops, made the monster hit himself in the face, then drifted off to possess another victim.

All these monsters were all headed towards the Doors of Death. Monsters that he, Percy, and Annabeth themselves had defeated. The same realization struck him. It was a temporary victory for the demigods. No matter how strong or lucky he was, no matter how many monsters he destroyed, they always came back. Maybe it would take them months or years to re-form, maybe even centuries. But they would be reborn. His kids, assuming they got out one day and he lived that long, would probably have to fight the same monsters.

“IAPETUS!” a deep voice growled.

“Holy Hera,” Percy cursed.

Annabeth shot him an amused look. “It’s just Koios.”

“It’s just Koios,” Percy mimicked under his breath.

Koios looked the same as before. Elaborate Stygian iron armour, a single diamond blazing in the centre of his breastplate. His eyes were blue-white, like core samples from a glacier and just as cold. His hair was the same colour, cut military style. A battle helmet shaped like a bear’s head was tucked under his arm. From his belt hung a sword the size of a surfboard.

He stopped in front of Bob and clapped him on the shoulder. “Iapetus! Don’t tell me you don’t recognize your own brother!”

“Hello, Koios,” Bob greeted nervously.

Koios laughed. “I heard you were thrown into the Lethe. Must’ve been terrible! We all knew you would heal eventually.”

“I have healed,” Bob agreed.

“Poor old Iapetus,” said Koios. “They must have laid you low indeed. Look at you! A broom? A servant’s uniform? Truly, Hades must pay for these insults. Who was that demigod who took your memory? Bah! We must rip him to pieces, you and I, eh?”

“Oh, yes,” Bob swallowed. “Rip him to pieces.”

“Well!” Koios drew his massive sword. The blade radiated a cold deeper than the Hubbard Glacier. “I must be off. Leto should have regenerated by now. I will convince her to fight.” Koios shook his head. “The peaceful ones like her always take the longest to re-form. This time, though, I’m sure Leto will fight for vengeance. The way Zeus treated her, after she bore him those fine twins? Outrageous!”

Percy choked.  _ Apollo _ … He might not have particularly liked the god, but every time he was mentioned, the bubble of loss couldn’t help but rise.

“Well! I’ll see you in the mortal world!’ Koios chest-bumped Bob. “Oh, and our two other brothers are guarding this side of the Doors, so you’ll see them soon enough!” Koios lumbered off.

“You okay, big guy?” Percy whispered.

“I am okay,” Bob nodded. “Bob is a good Titan. Koios is bad.” He peered in the direction his brother headed. “My brothers guard the Doors.”

“We’ll be fine,” Percy assured him. “Annabeth and I have a plan.”

Cassidy tapped her foot impatiently. “Come on. It’s not much further.”

Ahead of them, jagged streaks of darkness tore through the air – like lightning, except pure black.

“The Doors,” Cassidy said. “Must be a large group going through.”

Bob helped them over the top of another ridge. Suddenly the Doors of Death were in plain view – a freestanding rectangle of darkness at the top of the next heart-muscle hill, about a quarter mile away, surrounded by a horde of monsters so thick Percy could’ve walked on their heads all the way across.

“Hyperion and Krios,” Percy muttered, glancing at the two Titans flanking the Doors.

Bob hefted his broom, like he was ready for a messy cleaning job. “We must hurry,” he said. “Follow me.”

.

“Here’s the plan,” Annabeth said, pale faced. “We cut the chains. Bob, you have to distract them. Percy, Cassidy, and I will sneak around and cut the chains.”

Bob nodded. “Once you are inside the Doors, I will push the button and defend it.”

“No,” Percy said, voice cracking. “Bob… you’re going through the Doors. Annabeth and I aren’t going to let you stay here, and we’re staying together. You go through the Doors. Cassidy, Annabeth, or I will hold the button and fight the monsters off.”

Annabeth handed Bob a piece of paper. “Give this to Nico. He should be waiting on the other side.” She hesitated. “Say hello to the stars for us.”

Bob frowned. “I do not understand. Why do you want to stay?”

“We don’t,” Percy said. “But we’d rather you escape and Annabeth and I can still stay together. Please, Bob.” He swallowed. “Please?”

“Bob can hold the button,” Bob said sadly.

“You can,” Percy agreed. “And you’d be great, but Annabeth and I need you to do something important. Help our friends defeat who’s on the other side of the Doors and give Nico the letter from Annabeth. Please do it, Bob.”

“Okay,” Bob said reluctantly.

“Percy?” Annabeth asked hesitantly.

Percy straightened up. “First things first. Let’s cut those chains.”

.

Somehow, Bob sounded even more ticked off when he was conversing with his brothers than Percy remembered. The titan’s tone made Percy shiver. At least he knew Bob was on their side.

Annabeth held up three fingers, ready to countdown. They had to cut the chains before the next group tried to take the elevator, but they also had to make sure the Titans were as distracted as possible.

“-our schedule,” Hyperion grumbled. He sneered at Bob. “Make your choice, brother. Fight us or help us. I don’t have time for your lectures.”

Bob glanced at Annabeth and Percy. Percy thought he might start a fight, but instead he raised the point of his spear. “Very well. I will take guard duty. Which of you wants a break first?”

“Me, of course,” Hyperion said.

“Me!” Krios snapped. “I’ve been holding that button so long my thumb is going to fall off.”

“I’ve been standing here longer,” Hyperion grumbled. “You two guard the Doors while I go up to the mortal world. I have some Greek heroes to wreak vengeance upon!”

“Oh, no!” Krios complained. “That Roman boy is on his way to Epirus – the one who killed me on Mount Othrys. Got lucky, he did. Now it’s my turn.”

“Bah!” Hyperion drew his sword. “I’ll gut you first, Ram-head!”

Krios raised his own blade. “You can try, but I won’t be stuck in this stinking pit any longer!”

Oops. In his haste to make absolute sure Bob escaped the pit, Percy had forgotten one tiny detail about their hike through Tartarus and the Doors of Death.

“Well that’s going to be a dam problem,” Percy mumbled.

A high-pitched whine pierced his ears, like the sound of an incoming rocket.

Percy sighed in resignation as he was flung backwards along with Annabeth and Cassidy. The impact knocked Cassidy out cold, and Percy had to assume he and Annabeth no longer looked like the empousai Cassidy had been disguising them as.

In front of the Doors of Death, Tartarus took shape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Percy and Annabeth seem to have forgotten that Tartarus took form. What to do, what to do?


	38. Emergency (Frank XXXVIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Frank’s day began great. They arrived in Epirus and Leo gave him a fire proof pouch to keep his piece of wood in. Probably the nicest thing Leo ever did for Frank. Not to mention, after his brief stint away from the Argo II, Leo no longer pined after Hazel.

According to Hazel, that meant Leo met someone. How he met someone and who was a mystery, but Leo was definitely friendzoning Hazel. And he was ignoring Nico. Which, whatever. Who really cared except for the fact that Nico had vital information and maybe it would be smart to  _ not _ ignore him.

The only downside of the day so far was when Frank learned Coach Hedge’s wife Mellie was pregnant, and Coach was worried. Which meant that Frank was worried too. His own mom died in battle, and he didn’t want the same thing to happen to the baby.

“Hey, guys!” Piper called from the bow. “Better get over here. You need to see this.”

They’d found the source of the dark lightning. The Argo II hovered directly over the river. A few hundred metres away at the top of the nearest hill stood a cluster of ruins. They didn’t look like much – just some crumbling walls encircling the limestone shells of a few buildings – but, from somewhere within the ruins, tendrils of black ether curled into the sky, like a smoky squid peeking from its cave. As Frank watched, a bolt of dark energy ripped through the air, rocking the ship and sending a cold shockwave across the landscape.

“The Necromanteion,” Nico said. “The House of Hades.”

“What about what your father said?” Will asked hesitantly. “Beware the House of Hades?”

Nico shrugged it off. “Who knows? Like I said, dreams have lots of meanings. I’ll just be extra careful, and you guys should be too.”

Piper hugged her arms. “I feel vulnerable floating up here like this. Couldn’t we set down in the river?”

“I wouldn’t,” Hazel said. “That’s the River Acheron.”

Jason squinted in the sunlight. “I thought the Acheron was in the Underworld.”

“It is,” Hazel said. “But its headwaters are in the mortal world. That river below us? Eventually it flows underground, straight into the realm of Pluto – er, Hades. Landing a demigod ship on those waters –”

“Yeah, let’s stay up here,” Leo decided. “I don’t want any zombie water on my hull.”

Nico grasped the scepter of Diocletian. Its orb glowed with purple light, as if in sympathy with the dark storm. Roman relic or not, the sceptre troubled Frank. If it really had the power to summon a legion of the dead… well, of course it did. That’s why Nico was okay with them going to find it.

“So you know how to use that, right?” Frank asked Nico. “You used it before?”

Nico gave him a thin smile. “It’ll do its job. Stop worrying. I’m not leading anyone here into a slaughter. Remember I already went through this once.”

Coach Hedge grunted. “Let’s go bust some monster heads.”

Frank looked at the satyr’s grim expression. Suddenly he had an idea. “Coach, you should stay on board, cover us with the ballistae.”

Hedge frowned. “Stay behind? Me? I’m your best soldier!”

“We might need air support,” Frank said. “Like we did in Rome. You saved our braccae.” He didn’t add:  _ Plus, I’d like you to get back to your wife and baby alive _ .

Hedge apparently got the message. His scowl relaxed. Relief showed in his eyes. “Well…” he grumbled, “I suppose somebody’s got to save your braccae.”

Jason clapped the coach on the shoulder. “So that’s settled. Everybody else – let’s get to the ruins. Time to crash Gaia’s party.”

.

Nico led the way. At the top of the hill, they climbed over an old retaining wall and down into an excavated trench. Finally they arrived at a stone doorway leading straight into the side of the hill. The death storm seemed to originate right above their heads. Looking up at the swirling tentacles of darkness, Frank felt like he was trapped at the bottom of a flushing toilet bowl. That really didn’t calm his nerves.

Nico faced the group. “From here, it gets tough.”

“Sweet,” Leo said. “’Cause so far I’ve totally been pulling my punches.”

Nico glared at him. “We’ll see how long you keep your sense of humour. Remember, this is where pilgrims came to commune with dead ancestors. Underground, you may see things that are hard to look at, or hear voices trying to lead you astray in the tunnels. Frank, do you have the barley cakes?”

“I do,” Hazel said, pulling the magical barley crackers out. She passed them out. “Happy eating.”

Not really. The cracker tasted like sawdust.

“Yum,” Piper said, pulling a face.

“Okay.” Nico choked down the last of his barley. “That should protect us from the poison.”

“Poison?” Leo asked. “I love poison.”

Nico ignored him. “Stick close together. I don’t want to explain to Percy or Annabeth why we lost some people or why some of you went insane.”

Well that was cheerful.

.

The creepy voices told Frank someone awaited him in Pylos. He made a mental note to ask about that if they made it out of this alive. Because right after the voices said he had to lead if he wanted to survive. Then all Hades broke loose.

Nico used the scepter to summon a legion of undead warriors as the monsters closed in. Leo and Hazel fled down one tunnel which was almost immediately blocked off. Nico didn’t look too alarmed, so Frank assumed this was how it was supposed to happen, but that still didn’t make him feel better.

Jason was shouting in Latin, trying to order the soldiers, but they just shuffled among the monsters. They clawed their way out of the pit, then milled about aimlessly, chest-bumping each other for no apparent reason, pushing one another back into the chasm, shooting arrows into the air as if trying to kill flies and occasionally, out of sheer luck, throwing a javelin, a sword or an ally in the direction of the enemy.

Meanwhile, the army of monsters got thicker and angrier. 

Frank pushed through the crowd of dead Romans, shooting down monsters until his arrows were spent, slowly making his way towards his friends. A little late, he realized – duh – he should turn into something big and powerful, like a bear or a dragon. As soon as the thought occurred, pain flared in his arm. He stumbled, looked down and was astonished to find an arrow shaft protruding from his left biceps. His sleeve was soaked with blood. The sight made him dizzy. Mostly it made him angry. He tried to turn into a dragon, with no luck. The pain made it too hard to focus. Maybe he couldn’t change shape while wounded.

_ Great _ , he thought.  _ Now I find out. _

He dropped his bow and picked up a sword and slashed his way forward, trying to ignore the pain and the blood dripping down his arm.

About five metres ahead, Nico was swinging his black sword with one hand, holding the sceptre of Diocletian aloft with the other. He was shouting something, but Frank couldn’t hear him over the roars of the monsters.

Why wasn’t Jason’s orders working. He kept shouting in Latin: “Form ranks!” But the dead legionnaires wouldn’t listen to him.

“Make way!” Frank shouted. To his surprise, the dead legionnaires parted for him. The closest ones turned and stared at him with blank eyes, as if waiting for further orders. “Oh, great…” Frank mumbled. Supposedly he was able to control them as a son of Mars. Oh…

It hit him. Jason wasn’t quite Roman any more. He was part Greek now. The same was probably true with Percy. Part Greek, part Roman. If Jason no longer gave off the right sort of vibe or aura of a Roman leader…

“-ank!” Nico was yelling. “Frank, give them orders!”

“Cohorts – lock shields!” Frank shouted.

The zombies around him stirred. They lined up in front of Frank, putting their shields together in a ragged defensive formation. But they were moving too slowly, like sleepwalkers, and only a few had responded to his voice.

“Jason!” Nico screamed over the battle. “Transfer power! TRANSFER POWER!”

Jason’s eyes met Frank’s. “Frank Zhang! I, Jason Grace, praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, give you my final order: I resign my post and give you emergency field promotion  to praetor, with the full powers of that rank. Take command of this legion!”

New life surged through Frank.

“Legion, agmen formate!” he commanded. “Archers! Eiaculare flammas! Cuneum formate! Advance with pila!”

The tides shifted in their favor. And Frank had never felt better.

.

They had managed to defeat the monsters and were feeling pretty good. Until Nico staggered.

“Nico!” Will said. “What is it?”

Nico shook his head. “I don’t know. The Doors. Something’s happening. We need to go now.” He furrowed his brow. "Percy and Annabeth... I can't sense them here. The Doors... the other side is almost freed. We have to get to the Doors now."

“But how?” Jason said. “That tunnel is gone.”

Frank clenched his jaw. He hadn’t come this far to stand around helplessly while his friends were in trouble. “It won’t be fun,” he said, “but there’s another way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All hail Praetor Zhang!
> 
> What is going on with Percy and Annabeth? We shall see, we shall see...


	39. Tartarus (Annabeth XXXIX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

“Cassidy!” Annabeth hissed, shaking the empousa. “Cassidy!”

Cassidy moaned and blinked slowly. “What in Hades?” she mumbled.

“Cassidy, wake up! It’s Tartarus!” Annabeth said urgently. “You have to wake up, he’s here!”

The empousa’s eyes snapped open and she jumped to her feet. Glancing around wildly, her eyes settled on the form of Tartarus.

“Begone!” Bob said, leveling his spear at the god. “You have no right to meddle!”

Annabeth forced herself to tear her eyes away from the sight of Tartarus tossing Bob around. She looked at Percy. “We have to cut the chains now!”

Tartarus roared. Bob’s spear was sticking out of his chest.

_ You will die first, Iapetus, _ Tartarus decided.  _ Afterwards, I will add your soul to my armour, where it will slowly dissolve, over and over, in eternal agony.  _ Tartarus pounded his fist against his breastplate. Milky faces swirled in the metal, silently screaming to get out.

Bob turned towards Percy and Annabeth. The Titan grinned, which probably would not have been Annabeth’s reaction to a threat of eternal agony.

“Take the Doors,” Bob said. “I will deal with Tartarus.”

Tartarus threw back his head and bellowed – creating a vacuum so strong that the nearest flying  demons were pulled into his vortex face and shredded.  _ Deal with me?  _ the god mocked.  _ You are only a Titan, a lesser child of Gaia! I will make you suffer for your arrogance. And as for your tiny mortal friends…  _ Tartarus swept his hand towards the monster army, beckoning them forward.  _ DESTROY THEM! _

Annabeth raised her sword and yelled, “Percy!” She dove for the chains holding the Doors of Death and cut through them easily with the drakon-bone blade Damasen had given her.

Meanwhile, Percy and Cassidy drove back the first wave of monsters.

Annabeth lunged behind him and sliced through the chains on the other side. The Doors shuddered, then opened with a pleasant  _ Ding _ !

More monsters surged towards the Doors. A spear flew past Annabeth’s head. She turned and stabbed an empousa through the gut, then dived for the Doors as they started to close. She kept them open with her foot as she fought. At least with her back to the elevator car, she didn’t have to worry about attacks from behind.

“Keep your foot in the door!” Cassidy shouted as she cut down monster after monster. “If you truly wish to free your friend, Percy and I will defend you until he gets in the elevator.”

The one flaw in their plan was that Tartarus could not be fought by two demigods or one demigod and an empousa. Annabeth was beginning to think everything would happen exactly as it had before.

Percy gave a battle cry. All around them, various veins burst open, spraying monsters with water from the five rivers of the Underworld. The waters vaporized the monsters and gave Percy and Cassidy a break, but soon the monsters would close back in.

Meanwhile, Bob’s attacks were getting slower. Tartarus was learning to control his new body. Tartarus grabbed Bob’s spear and yanked it out of his hands. He kicked Bob downhill, knocking over a row of telkhines like sea-mammal bowling pins.

_ YIELD _ ! Tartarus thundered.

“I will not,” Bob said. “You are not my master.”

Cassidy glanced back at Annabeth. “You two should get in the elevator. I will hold the button. Your friend will not escape now.” She vaporized a telekhine. “Or let them close. Choose quickly.”

_ Any minute now _ , Annabeth thought, scanning the horizon for Damasen.  _ Any minute now _ .

A ripple of alarm passed through the army. Annabeth grinned wildly.

The Maeonian drakon spread its frilled collar and hissed, its poison breath filling the battlefield with the smell of pine and ginger. It shifted its hundred-foot-long body, flicking its dappled green tail and wiping out a battalion of ogres. Riding on its back was a red-skinned giant with flowers in his rust-coloured braids, a jerkin of green leather and a drakon-rib lance in his hand.

“Damasen!” Annabeth shouted.

The giant inclined his head. “Annabeth Chase, I took your advice. I chose myself a new fate.”

_ Athena always has a plan _ . Percy’s words from when they reached the bottom of the chasm rang in her ears. Bob’s brothers discussing the good old days…

Annabeth felt hope rising. “Athena always has a plan,” she whispered. “Percy!”

Percy hurried over. “What is it?”

“I know what we have to do,” Annabeth said quickly. “It’s crazy, and definitely stupid, but if we can pull this off, Bob and Damasen might have a chance at escaping.” She told him her plan.

Percy shook his head, but he was smiling. “It’s crazy, but I think we just might be able to do it.”

Bob limped to the Doors. Golden ichor flowed from the wounds on his arms and chest. His janitor’s outfit hung in tatters. His posture was twisted and hunched, as if Tartarus breaking the spear had broken something inside him. Despite all that, he was grinning, his silver eyes bright with satisfaction. Percy whispered the plan into the titan’s ear.

“Crazy,” Bob agreed. “It won’t last for long,” he warned. "He is strong here in his realm."

“It’s the only plan we’ve got,” Percy said.

Bob nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Cassidy’s eyes were wide. “I’ll stay here with Annabeth.” She looked at Annabeth. “Keep the Doors open, I’ll worry about the monsters.”

“No,” Annabeth said, shaking her head. “You’re tired. I’ll fight, you hold the Doors.”

Cassidy looked like she wanted to argue, but she sighed and reluctantly switched spots.

Annabeth drew another sword from her backpack. Now she was armed with the drakon-bone sword and a celestial bronze one. “Let’s do this thing.”

Percy and Bob hurtled themselves back into the fray, disintegrating monsters as they fought their way to Damasen and Tartarus. Annabeth sliced down the monsters attempting to get into the Doors.

“Damasen!” Percy called. “You and Bob have to hold him down! HOLD TARTARUS DOWN!”

The giant’s eyes widened as he realized what the plan was. He fought back against Tartarus with vigor. Damasen jumped from the drakon he was riding the same time Bob lunged at Tartarus. Damasen grabbed the right side, and Bob grabbed the left. They forced Tartarus to the ground.

_ You cannot kill me! _ Tartarus shrieked.  _ I am the pit itself. You might as well try to kill the earth. Gaea and I - we are eternal. We own you, flesh and spirit! _

“I bet Ouranos said the same thing when Kronos chopped him into fun sized pieces,” Percy said, wielding Riptide dangerously. “I’m starting to see a trend here. Evil immortal dudes getting chopped up.” He raised his sword. “Bye bye, Tartarus.”

Annabeth forced herself not to look as Percy swung his sword. Tartarus screamed, but Bob and Damasen held him down. She focused on the cyclops in front of her and tried her best to block out the agonizing screams from Tartarus.  Silence.

“Annabeth!”

Percy was there, arms around her. He kissed her.

“PDA. Gross,” Cassidy’s voice interrupted.

Annabeth and Percy pulled away, faces red.

“You’re crazy,” Damasen told them.

Percy grinned. “It was all Annabeth’s idea. Daughter of Athena, you know? She’s really good at coming up with plans.”

Annabeth flushed. “Percy.”

Damasen nodded at the Doors. “Go on. With Tartarus gone, Bob and I can hold them off.”

“Actually,” Annabeth said, taking a breath. She shared a look with Percy. “Actually, you and Bob are taking the Doors. Percy and I are going to hold them off.”

“You’ll be stuck here,” Damasen protested.

“We know,” Percy said, grasping Annabeth’s hand. “We’re ready. Bob, you have the note for Nico?”

Bob patted his pocket. “I have it. But Percy and Annabeth should go.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Annabeth said bravely. “Go. We shouldn’t waste time. Remember. Tell the stars hello for us.”

Damasen fixed her with an unreadable look. “Truly you are something else. I see you are quite set on this choice, but I offer you one last chance to back out.”

“Go,” Percy said firmly. “Please.”

“We can’t repay you for this,” Damasen said.

Annabeth nodded. “You can. Our friends are on the other side. Help them. Consider that repaying us.”

Cassidy held the Doors open as Bob and Damasen got in.

“Twelve minutes,” Percy promised. “We can give you that.” He gave them a smile. “Bye, Bob. Thanks for being a good friend. Damasen, thanks for coming to help.”

“You are both good,” Annabeth said, blinking back tears. “Thank you both for… for everything.”

The panels slid shut. The last image of Damasen and Bob was seared into Annabeth’s mind. Cassidy jumped towards the button and pushed it down. “Do you have a watch?” she shouted.

“It should just disappear once the Doors reach the top!” Annabeth called back.

Together, Annabeth and Percy fought the monsters before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh come on! You all knew Percy wasn't going to let Bob or Damasen get stuck down there!
> 
> As for how the whole chopping up Tartarus thing works, Ouranos was tricked into coming down to the Earth (Gaea's realm) when the Titan's cut him up. Tartarus is still in his own realm so he'll have to reform, but it's a temporary solution for Percy and Annabeth.
> 
> And I won't leave you guys hanging too long. I'll update again in a lil bit...


	40. The Titan and the Giant (Hazel XL)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

Hazel had no idea who the Titan and the Giant were, but she had a feeling they were on the same side as her. Clytius spoke through them, and the way he spoke about his voice’s hosts indicated that they were not on the Giants’ side.

When Hecate appeared, she did not say anything, but she did raise an eyebrow. Hazel was grateful the goddess was there lending her strength.

Hazel threw her sword at the remaining chains on the Doors of Death. It sliced clean through, causing the Doors to disappear.

“That was for my brother, Nico,” Hazel gasped. “And for destroying my father’s altar.”

_ You have forfeited your right to a quick death _ , the giant snarled.  _ I will suffocate you in darkness, _

_ slowly, painfully. Hecate cannot help you. NO ONE can help you! _

The goddess raised her torches. “I would not be so certain, Clytius. Hazel’s friends simply needed a little time to reach her – time you have given them with your boasting and bragging.”

Clytius snorted.  _ What friends? These weaklings? They are no challenge. _

In front of Hazel, the air rippled. The Mist thickened, creating a doorway, and four people stepped through. Hazel wept with relief. Frank’s arm was bleeding and bandaged, but he was alive. Next to him stood Nico, Will, Piper, and Jason – all with their swords drawn.

“Sorry we’re late,” Jason said. “Is this the guy who needs killing?”

The attack was a blur. Leo shot fire at Clytius, Frank and Piper jabbing at his chest, Jason flying into the air and kicking him in the face. Each time the giant’s smoky veil started creeping around one of them, Nico was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with his Stygian blade. Will was set up with his bow and he had more than a few extra quivers full of arrows. He shot them at the giant rapid fire. Although he wasn’t very accurate, Hazel noted with a wince. Most of Will’s arrows seemed to graze the giant.

A loud roar startled them. The titan and the giant had gotten to their feet. Their eyes were fixed on Clytius.

“Brother!” Clytius said. “Help me defeat these heroes!”

The giant looked at Clytius almost with pity. “These heroes are friends,” he said. “Twelve minutes ago I held down father as Percy Jackson temporarily destroyed him. Shall I allow these heroes to do the same to you?”

_ Percy destroyed who? _ Hazel wondered. But then the giant and titan joined the fight, and Hazel refocused her efforts on defeating Clytius.

Soon after, Hecate raised her torches to Clytius.

“And so it ends,” she said.

_ It does not end. _ Clytius’s voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred.  _ My brethren have risen. Gaia waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes? _

Hecate turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytius’s head. The giant’s hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body until the heat of the bonfire made Hazel wince. Clytius fell without a sound, face-first into the rubble of Hades’s altar. His body crumbled to ashes.

For a moment, no one spoke. Hazel heard a ragged, painful noise and realized it was her own breathing. Her side felt like it had been kicked in with a battering ram.

The goddess Hecate faced her. “You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place.” She glanced at the titan and giant. “Damasen. Iapetus. Your services were unexpected, but I trust I leave these heroes in good hands?”

“My name is Bob,” the titan announced. “I am not Iapetus.”

Nico’s face turned to look at Bob so fast, Hazel thought he must have gotten whiplash. “Bob? Where are Percy and Annabeth?”

Bob, because apparently the titan was named Bob, looked down. He pulled a note from his pocket. “Annabeth asked me to give this to you.”

The chamber rumbled.

“The House of Hades is unstable,” Hecate said. “Leave now. We shall meet again.” The goddess dissolved. The Mist evaporated.

Nico had an odd expression. He looked at Bob and Damasen. “She’s right. We need to get out of here. Bob… we can talk outside.”

“How?” Piper asked, glancing around at the collapsing chamber.

“We have to shadow travel,” Nico answered. “Hazel and I can do it together. Bob can heal us, so don’t freak out, Will.” He looked up. “Everyone, grab hands!”

They made a hasty circle. Hazel envisioned the Greek countryside above them. The cavern collapsed, and she felt herself dissolving into shadow. They appeared on the hillside overlooking the River Acheron. The sun was just rising, making the water glitter and the clouds glow orange. The cool morning air smelled of honeysuckle.

Hazel was holding hands with Frank on her left, Nico on her right. They were all alive and mostly whole. The sunlight in the trees was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She wanted to live in that moment – free of monsters and gods and evil spirits. Then her friends began to stir.

Suddenly, she and Nico pitched forward. The last thing she heard before blacking out was Bob the Titan’s voice.

“Don’t worry, friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Nico! I'm sorry for taking away Percy and Annabeth!


	41. Prophecy Reprise (Nico XLI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades. Well, I think maybe one line might be the same? I think I wrote this whole chapter myself though. Not sure. I'll just keep that there just in case.
> 
> And this is the one chapter I have been waiting to publish ever since I wrote it! I'm so excited for this and I really hope you guys like it!

When Nico opened his eyes, he was laying down in the grass. Sunlight danced across his face.

“Rise and shine,” Will Solace’s cheerful voice said. “Nice to see you awake, Sunshine.”

Nico groaned. “What happened?”

“You and Hazel shadow traveled all seven of us along with a titan and a giant out of the House of Hades,” Will answered. “Which, I guess you didn’t have to beware.”

“I did have to beware,” Nico whispered, heart sinking. “I was stupid. Cupid  _ told _ me that he knew about my situation because he’s a god. My father wasn’t warning me to be careful. He meant that it wasn’t going to be the same.” He sat up and stared at his feet. “Percy and Annabeth didn’t come back.” He clenched his fists. “Bob! Bob?”

Bob lumbered over. His face looked sad. “Yes?”

“Can I…” Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “Can I see the note now?”

Bob silently handed him the note Annabeth wrote.

_ I’m so, so sorry _ .  _ But it was necessary. I hope you can forgive us for staying. _

_ I think we always knew that the second time would be the end for us. After all, the only reason we made it out last time was because Bob and Damasen stayed behind. Percy and I talked about it. We won’t let them stay here. _

_ So if you’re reading this, Nico, please don’t go back to the shadows. We’re okay. Really, truly. I know you’ll stay up all night trying to figure out the key to our plight, but I think it was you taking us to visit Bob. He knew we were his friends and he knew he could trust us. _

_ I wrote something for each of you, but no peeking! There should be little notes folded up. They have each person’s name on it. Your choice whether or not to share your own. _

_ Love you all forever and always with all our love, _

_ Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson _

Nico numbly passed out the notes. He stared at his for a whole minute before finally working up the courage to open it.

_ Nico, _

_ If you stared at this note for a whole freaking minute before opening it, then I owe Percy five drachmas. I’ll come back and haunt you. _

_ Anyway, I’ll keep this pretty brief. You are the only hope we have of winning this thing. You know how this has to end. Make sure the crew is ready. Prepare them before you leave with Reyna. _

_ All the serious stuff aside, promise you’ll- _ _ MAKE A DAM MOVE ON WILL SOLACE! _ _ Sorry about Percy. But yes, that’s the gist of what I was getting at. Don’t wallow in pity or guilt. Promise us, Nico. It’s like our dying wish. Ask Will out. You have to honor that. _

_ Love you, _

_ Annabeth Chase and  _ _ Percy Jackson _

_ (P.S. Percy-  _ _ Wants to tell you to remember me every time you drink water or something. You shall always hear me say “I thought water wasn’t your type” whenever you drink it. Remember me fondly! _ _ Sorry. We love you!) _

Nico slumped.

“Are you okay?” Will asked quietly. He was holding his crumpled note in his fist.

Piper and Hazel had tears rolling down their cheeks. Jason’s eyes were watering. Leo looked shell shocked as he read his, and Frank was staring at his note like it might be a dream.

“I’m okay,” Nico mumbled. “Annabeth’s right. I always knew they weren’t coming back. I just never wanted to admit that to myself.” He punched the ground. “It’s not fair!” he shouted. Shadows leaned towards him. He felt like he did the day Jason died. The shadows started to wrap around his body.

Anger. Pain. Always him. It was always him. Everyone he got close to always ended up hurt or worse. His mother. Killed by Zeus. Bianca. Killed because she wanted to give him that stupid figurine. Jason. Killed because Nico couldn’t protect him. Percy and Annabeth. Stuck in Tartarus for the rest of their lives, never to escape.

Why? What had he done to deserve this? Why was it always him who had everyone he ever cared about ripped away from him?

The shadows exploded around him. Suddenly, Nico was in the eye of a tornado of shadows.

“No! Nico!” Will shouted.

Will was the only thing Nico could see. He seemed to glow in the darkness, and Nico could see one hundred percent that his father was the sun god.

Will’s blonde hair shined as bright as Imperial gold in the sunlight. Nico could practically feel the heat radiating from his friend.

“Nico!” Will screamed, holding out a hand. “Nico, grab my hand!”

It was probably not the smartest idea. Will could be ripped apart by the shadows around Nico, or worse. But Nico trusted Will Solace with all his heart.

He reached for the glowing outstretched hand.

The scene around him changed.

No longer was he completely encased in shadows, but instead it was as if the shadows were acting as a doorway. They swirled around one side of Nico. The side where Will was still glowing brightly.

Will’s shocked face looked at Nico. “What are you doing?”

“This isn’t me!” Nico shouted. He looked at the other half of his surroundings and his jaw dropped.

The last time he saw these heinous sights was in the last timeline. When he had gone searching for the Doors of Death and had stupidly assumed he could wander through any part of the Underworld.

“Tartarus,” Nico breathed.

“What?” Will exclaimed. His grip on Nico’s hand loosened.

Nico squeezed the hand tighter. He didn’t know how he knew, but he knew that if he let go of Will’s hand now, he would be sucked into Tartarus. Will was acting as an anchor.  _ Nico’s _ anchor. His light in the darkness. Nico’s  _ light _ .

_ Twins snuff out the angel’s light / Who holds the key to saviors’ plight _ .

Oh gods, he had stopped it. It all seemed so obvious now. In the original prophecy, Nico had prevented the twins from “snuffing out” his breath, prevented the twins from killing him, by going into the death trance. In the new prophecy, Nico prevented the twins from taking Will.  _ The angel’s light _ .

Because there was no denying it. Not now while he was faced with a literally glowing Will. Will was Nico di Angelo’s light. He was the one thing keeping Nico from fading into the shadows every time he shadow traveled or used his so called “Underworldy powers”.

And the saviors’ plight wasn’t the fall. No, they  _ always _ had to fall. Percy and Annabeth were the only demigods who could hope to have a shot at closing the Doors. Their plight was the fact that they were now trapped in the darkest part of the Underworld where no god dares to travel. That was their plight. And Will, Nico’s light, held the key. He  _ was _ the key.

Nico knew beyond a doubt that this was right. Because just then he saw a flash of blond hair on the Tartarus side.

“PERCY!” Nico screamed. “ANNABETH!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And let me just rush off to post the next chapter so I don't leave y'all on too big of a cliff hanger. Some people in this world are insistent on it of course for example having one of your OTPs literally dangling from a cliff, but I digress.


	42. The Key to Saviors' Plight (Percy XLII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades
> 
> Here's the rest! Ahh, I would have hated an author leaving me on that ending for a few hours, so I'm nice. I only forced you to go a few minutes. (Assuming you read this as soon as I updated, otherwise... well, good for you. No waiting!)

The endless killing was getting old really quickly, Percy decided.

For every monster he, Annabeth, or Cassidy cut down, it felt like a hundred more came to take its place like a hydra on steroids or something. At least Cassidy was free to fight since the Doors of Death and the button had disappeared.

“I’m starting to think maybe there were a few flaws in the plan,” Percy mused as he sparred with a cyclops.

“You think?” Cassidy snapped, slicing her way through telekhines and empousai. “Apologies, sisters!” she said as the empousai disintegrated.

Annabeth’s hair was frizzy and probably in her face as she fought off monster after monster. Her clothes were streaked with monster dust, Tartarus’ ichor (courtesy of Percy hugging her while he was covered in the stuff), and dirt and grime. So basically, she looked amazing.

“PERCY! ANNABETH!”

Percy almost got crushed by the cyclops he was fighting.  _ No way _ , he thought.

“PERCY! ANNABETH!”

A grin started to spread across his face.  _ Yes way _ , he thought.

“NICO?” Annabeth shouted in surprise.

Barely three feet away was a dark shadowy portal. In the center was Nico di Angelo, and behind him, glowing as brightly as the sun, was Will Solace.

“HADES, YES!” Percy yelled.

“I’m going to forgive you for that only because I’m so happy to see you two cretini!” Nico called. He stretched out his hand. “Grab my hand!”

Percy glanced back at Cassidy. “Cassidy! Come on! We’re getting out of here!”

Cassidy turned to look at him. Her eyes widened when she saw the portal. “Okay! Let’s blow this popsicle-” The words died in her throat, and she froze. Her eyes offered Percy an apology as she turned into dust.

“Cassidy!” Annabeth shrieked.

A group of empousai smirked at them from where Cassidy had been.

“Percy! Come on!” Nico yelled desperately. “Hurry! I don’t know how long we can hold this!”

With one last look at the monster dust that used to be Cassidy, Percy grabbed Annabeth’s hand and together they lunged for Nico’s hand.

The world around them dissolved into shadows. The only light was Will, still glowing.

Then they were face down in the grass. Percy’s skin burned under the heat of the sun. He squeezed his eyes shut as the light blinded him.

He could hear shouts of surprise as he blacked out.

.

“He’s waking up,” someone hissed.

Percy groaned. “Ugh. What happened?” His vision swam, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Here,” Will Solace’s voice said. “Nectar.”

A cup was placed into Percy’s hand and he could feel the tip of a straw at his lips. Percy drank gratefully. Once the cup was pulled away, he tried opening his eyes again. Much better.

“What happened?” he asked again.

Hazel crossed her arms. “Nico and Will rescued you two from Tartarus over 24 hours ago. What was that, huh? Thinking we’d all be fine with leaving you guys there?”

Percy was suddenly aware that he and Annabeth were sitting upright in their room on the bed surrounded by the rest of the Seven, Nico, and Will.

“It was a pretty silly idea,” Annabeth admitted. Her hand was still holding Percy’s. “It’s good to see you guys again.” She looked at Will. “Angel’s light, huh? Thanks for getting us.”

Will blushed. “I had no idea I could do that. Nico was wrapping himself in shadows, and I didn’t know what to do. I just kinda called out for him, and he grabbed my hand and then suddenly there was a portal to Tartarus.” He looked down at his hands. “Lost that glow as soon as we came back here.”

“I don’t really care how you did it, but you two were amazing,” Percy said looking at Will and Nico. “Like, what would we do without you? Probably be monster chow right now.” He stopped. “Oh no. Cassidy. She… she died.”

“Cassidy knew what she was getting into,” Annabeth said, voice wavering as if she was trying to convince herself. “She knew once we closed the Doors we were all probably going to die.”

“Who’s Cassidy?” Frank asked quietly.

Percy swallowed. “She was an empousa. Hecate sent her to help us. I guess Apollo gave Hecate a prophecy and a warning.”

They sat in silence.

“What about you guys?” Percy asked, changing the subject. “How’d it go in the House of Hades?”

Frank explained what had happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters – how Nico had used the sceptre of Diocletian and how bravely Jason, Piper, and Will had fought.

“Frank is being modest,” Jason said. “He controlled the entire legion. You should’ve seen him. Oh, by the way…” Jason glanced at Percy. “I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling.”

Percy grinned. “No argument here.” He nodded at Frank. “You make one fine praetor, Frank. I know these things.”

“Only because you’re from the future,” Leo pointed out. But he clapped Frank on the shoulder. “Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order Octavian to fall on his sword.”

“Tempting,” Frank agreed. He turned apprehensively to Percy. “But you guys… Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there?”

Percy laced his fingers through Annabeth’s. “It was hard of course, but… easier since we knew what to expect kinda. We’ll tell you the story,” Percy promised. “Both of them. But not yet, okay? I’m not ready to remember that place.”

“No,” Annabeth agreed. “Right now…”

The door slammed open. Coach Hedge stood in the doorway with Reyna behind him.

“About time!” the coach shouted. “I thought you cupcakes were going to stay asleep all day. Kept your visitor waiting,” he added jerking his head towards Reyna.

Reyna managed a smile. “It’s good to see you both awake,” she said.

“Good to see you got my message,” Annabeth said back.

Leo clapped his hands eagerly. “Okay. Let’s see about that statue, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah. You guys called the whole Cassidy dies thing, but let me just say... she could come back since she's a monster and they reform. So if any of you guys wanna see her again... let me know.
> 
> You know what you get when you mix the death and darkness of Nico di Angelo with the sunshine of Will Solace? You get SOLANGELO! Kidding. Well, you do... eventually, but you get awesomeness! Okay. That's all from me.
> 
> Translation:  
> cretini --> jerks


	43. The Plan (Percy XLIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

“So,” Percy said, looking at the Athena Parthenos. “I guess this is it, huh?”

Nico scoffed. “You sound like we’ll never see each other again.”

“Will we?” Percy sighed. “I just… we’ve been through a lot, you know? This is going to basically define how this is going to end. I’m scared,” he admitted.

“It is incredible,” Reyna agreed. She was still red-eyed from crying. Soon after she’d landed on the Argo II, her pegasus Scipio had collapsed, overwhelmed by poisoned claw marks from a gryphon attack the night before. Reyna had put the horse out of his misery with her golden knife, turning the pegasus into dust that scattered in the sweet-smelling Greek air. Percy felt bad she had to lose her horse again.

“Can this statue really help us defeat Gaea?” Hazel asked. “I know it’s the giant’s bane, but still. I have no idea how this could possibly do anything against giants.”

“It will unite the Greeks and the Romans,” Annabeth explained. “And I felt it aura back in that cave. I can still feel it now.” She looked at Reyna. “Hungry?”

The entire crew had decided to eat lunch on the hillside while they discussed what to do. After the last few weeks, Percy figured they’d earned a good meal together – really anything that wasn’t fire water or drakon meat soup.

Reyna glanced over, her dark eyebrows furrowed. “All right,” she said finally.

They scooted over to make room for her in the circle. She sat cross-legged next to Annabeth, picked up a cheese sandwich and nibbled at the edge.

“So,” Reyna said. “Frank Zhang… praetor.”

Frank shifted, wiping crumbs from his chin. “Well, yeah. Field promotion.”

“To lead a different legion,” Reyna noted. “A legion of ghosts.”

“Reyna,” Jason said, “you should’ve seen him.”

“He was amazing,” Piper agreed.

“Frank is a leader,” Hazel insisted. “He makes a great praetor.”

“You’d be proud of him,” Nico added. “And I don’t really praise lightly, so…”

Reyna’s lips twitched upward. “I believe you,” she said. “I approve. A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legion… I can work with a demigod like that. We’ll have to send word to the Twelfth Fulminata.”

Percy choked. “Oh gods. What’s going on exactly? I mean, Annabeth and I kinda missed a lot.” He looked at Reyna. “Obviously Rachel got Annabeth’s message.”

“Once Rachel informed us of what was to happen I sent the legion east to prepare for Gaea’s attack,” Reyna told him. “You are quite respected still, Percy. Most of the Senate felt it would be wise to listen to you and Annabeth seeing as you managed to send a message from Tartarus.” Her expression turned guarded. “How did you escape? And manage to bring a titan and a giant with you?”

Annabeth inhaled sharply. Percy looked down. “When we got to the Doors,” he began carefully, “Annabeth and I had planned to let Bob escape. The two of us and Cassidy could hold off the monsters and hold down the button with no problems. What we didn’t factor in was…” he winced. “Uh, Tartarus himself kinda appeared.”

“What?” Will exclaimed. His eyes were wide. “Oh my gods, how did you get out of that one?”

“It was my idea,” Annabeth said quietly. She seemed to shrink in on herself and ever so slightly moved away from Percy, though she was still holding his hand. “When Bob was talking to Krios and Hyperion about when Kronos had them hold Ouranos down… it just came back to me at that moment.”

Percy couldn’t bring himself to meet anyone’s eyes. He was still covered in golden ichor that obviously did not belong to himself.

“Bob… Bob and Damasen held him down,” Percy said, voice wavering. “Cassidy was holding the Doors open, and Annabeth was guarding her. I… I cut up Tartarus the same way Kronos cut up Ouranos and the same way Zeus, Hades, and my dad cut up Kronos.”

No one said anything. Percy kept his head down.

“It… it was only temporary,” Percy stammered. “I mean, we couldn’t take him to Gaea or Ouranos’ realms, so he’ll reform eventually, but… but we needed to get out and…” He trailed off. Nothing could justify what he had done really. Couldn’t justify how much satisfaction it had brought him just like with Akhlys and the poison the first time.

“Good.”

Percy looked up. Nico gave him a grim look.

“He deserved it,” Nico said, crossing his arms. “Just… don’t turn into a jerk? Most people who chop up their relatives end up eating their kids or ignoring their kids.”

“Ew, Nico,” Will complained. “Now I have a mental image of Percy eating a baby. Gross.”

His comment sent everyone into peels of laughter. When they finally calmed down, Leo glanced up at the statue.

“So, the twenty-million-peso question,” Leo said. “We got this slightly used forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?”

Reyna squinted at the Athena Parthenos. “As fine as it looks on this hill, I didn’t come all this way to admire it. According to Annabeth, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. Do I understand correctly?”

Annabeth nodded. “I had a dream. My mother’s voice telling me the Roman had to bring her to Half-Blood Hill.”

“To heal the rift,” Jason agreed.

Nico looked at Reyna. “I’ll be shadow traveling you to Camp. It might take a few trips, but it’s the best solution we’ve got.”

Coach Hedge swallowed his strawberry along. “Now, hold on. I like peace as much as the next satyr –”

“You hate peace,” Leo said.

“The point is, Valdez, we’re only – what, a few days from Athens? We’ve got an army of giants waiting for us there. We went to all the trouble of saving this statue –”

“I went to most of the trouble,” Annabeth reminded him.

“– because that prophecy called it the giants’ bane,” the coach continued. “So why aren’t we taking it to Athens with us? It’s obviously our secret weapon.” He eyed the Athena Parthenos. “It looks like a ballistic missile to me. Maybe if Valdez strapped some engines to it –”

“No!” Percy, Annabeth, and Nico shouted.

“It’s just that the statue  _ has _ to get to Camp,” Annabeth explained. “Gaea is going to rise in Athens, right?”

“Using the ‘Blood of Olympus’ according to Clytius,” Nico added. “If you guys can’t stop her, the statue has to be at Camp before she rises.”

“ _ To storm or fire the world must fall _ ,” Reyna quoted. “Do you have a plan?”

Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look. “Sort of,” they said.

“Work in progress,” Percy added.

Reyna eyed them apprehensively, but said nothing about that. “I would prefer to take one other. Three is the usual number for quests. It would ease my worries if there were three of us.”

“Take Coach Hedge,” Frank blurted. “He’s a good fighter and certified protector. He’ll get the job done.”

“Hold on!” Will protested. “What if Nico and I did the thing that got Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus? Shadow traveling always takes a lot out of Nico, and that whatever it was only made us pass out for a day.” He paused. “Well, Nico and I passed out  _ almost  _ the whole day. Percy and Annabeth were out the whole day.”

Nico frowned. “I don’t even know how we  _ did _ that. Look, Will, you  _ know _ I have to do this. I mean, that has been the plan ever since Jason had that dream.”

“But we didn’t know we could do that,” Will said stubbornly. “Let’s just try it. It’s worth a shot.”

Percy shrugged. “He has a point, Nico. It’s less taxing on you in the long run.”

“And it would be faster,” Frank said, biting his lip nervously. “I don’t like the idea of leaving the Legion in the hands of Octavian for too long. Especially since they’re at the Greek camp.”

“Not to mention having Nico and Will would help a lot in Athens,” Piper added. “The more we have in numbers, the better the chances of winning.”

“It’s a longer distance than Tartarus,” Nico protested. “Tartarus… that was an ambiguous distance. I could shadow travel there right now if I wanted to. It would take about the same effort as it would take for me to shadow travel anywhere in the Underworld.” He sighed. “The Underworld is just generally below the surface of the Earth. Therefore, as long as I am on the surface of the Earth it doesn’t matter where I am, it will take the same amount of effort to shadow travel to the Underworld. However, let’s say I want to shadow travel from Camp Half-Blood to Camp Jupiter. That’s actually a further distance, and it would take more out of me. I… I might be asleep for a day with a jump like that. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love it if that worked, but I’m just worried about the side effects for Will, Reyna, Coach Hedge, and I.”

Annabeth looked at Reyna. “It’s up to you,” she said. “Your quest, your rules.”

Percy studied Reyna’s face. She seemed to be weighing both options. He thought about the options she had. One, Nico and Coach Hedge went with her and the statue got delivered minutes before Gaea woke. Or two, Reyna and probably Coach Hedge arrived at Camp in minutes with the statue and had plenty of time to prepare for the battle. That also left Nico free to stay with the Argo II.

“If you can get the statue to the camp sooner rather than later, I am willing to give that a shot,” Reyna finally decided. “The Legion and the Greeks obviously do not get along well right now. If there is a chance to remedy that before Gaea wakes, I think that is our best option.” Her eyes turned concern. “My only concern is the statue. If something went wrong, we would lose the statue. That is something we cannot afford.”

“The statue’s magic would protect it if we got stuck in the shadows,” Nico said slowly. “It might protect us for a while, but it’s main concern would be itself. My father  _ might _ help me,” he said dubiously. “I really don’t know for sure. I think we could get the statue to Camp safely, but I’m not sure how it would affect Will or I. We could be unconscious anywhere from a few hours to a few days.”

Reyna pursed her lips. “If you’re willing to try it, you believe it would work, I would be okay trying this.”

Nico set his shoulders. “Okay. But I should get some rest first. We can do it at sunset. That’s about noon at Camp Half-Blood.” He looked at Coach Hedge. “You still want to go with her?”

“Yeah, I’ll go,” the coach decided. “She’ll need someone to legitimize her story. I’ll back her up. Just let me go make a call - er, I mean, get my baseball bat.” He got up and shot Frank a grateful look. Percy assumed this was for volunteering him to go to Camp Half-Blood where his wife, who was pregnant if Percy remembered correctly, was currently staying.

“You should rest,” Nico told Will. “Reyna, you too. I’m not sure if Percy and Annabeth only passed out because it was a shock to their bodies or if it was the actual shadow traveling process.” He glanced at Annabeth. “There’s guest rooms, right?”

Percy snorted. “Who do you think she is?” he asked, pointing to his girlfriend. “Like she wouldn’t have planned for extra guests.”

Leo scowled. “Messed up my blueprints,” he muttered.

Nico snickered as he, Will, and Reyna made their way to the ship.

Hazel passed her hand over the ground. Diamonds broke the surface. “We’re at another crossroads. The Athena Parthenos goes west. The Argo II goes east.” She looked at Percy and Annabeth. “This is the right choice?”

“It has to be,” Annabeth said. “We haven’t come this far just to mess up.” Percy nodded in agreement. “There was something else,” Annabeth continued. “Something Cassidy said. Hecate sent her to help us because she received a prophecy and a warning from Apollo. Cassidy wouldn’t tell us anything, but I’m worried it might affect our quest. If something happens to ruin our shot at destroying Gaea for good…” she trailed off.

Frank furrowed his brow. “We need to know that prophecy. I don’t suppose there’s a chance we could meet Apollo?”

Percy winced. “Uh, actually, we’re supposed to run into him on this quest. The problem is that Zeus blames Apollo for the war, so he and Artemis are currently hiding.” He looked at Annabeth. “He could give us the prophecy then, right?”

“If he’s sane enough,” Annabeth said, shrugging helplessly. “I don’t know what kind of mental state the gods are in if their children aren’t at war. I mean, I would imagine the same as usual, so he  _ might _ share the prophecy with us. I don’t know.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“Bob and Damasen went to seek out the giants,” Percy said, breaking the silence. “I guess we’ll see them in Athens. Try not to kill them?” he added.

Piper laughed. “I think we can manage that.”

“This is nice,” Jason sighed. “The original seven. Together for a brief moment of peace and quiet.”

Leo’s ever present grin slipped from his face. He looked at Percy. “Can we talk?”

Percy nodded. “Yeah. I had a feeling you would want to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to rewrite chapters 45-55 because I done messed up. The whole Nico/Will shadow travel thing is a lil too convenient so we had to do something about that. Anyway, that's why I didn't post anything yesterday. I like to remain far ahead of my posting, so I like being ten plus chapters ahead. Although, it has been slow going with writing. I really need to start reading HOO again because I'm on Riordan Wiki like "what happened with Polybotes in Son of Neptune?" "oh is that what happened in house of hades?" "wait. Jason fought that guy when?" I'm severely deprived of knowledge. Which is pretty accurate because I think the last time I read a HOO book was Blood of Olympus when I got it after it came out. I read PJO multiple times, but HOO was only read once. TOA once as well.
> 
> And Leo wants to talk with Percy. What ever could this be about?


	44. Leo's Note (Leo XLIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Pretty sure I wrote this whole thing, no lines from the books! Lol proud of myself, like what?

Percy led him a short way away from the group so they couldn’t be overheard. He gave Leo a grim look.

“Why did you let the gods get away with it?” Leo asked immediately.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. “Believe me, I didn’t want to leave her there. Calypso… I like her. She’s a great person, really. Mostly though, I wanted to get her off that island so she couldn’t curse Annabeth.” He exhaled. “The first time we were in Tartarus, we ran into the arai. You kill one, you get cursed. Calypso cursed Annabeth to feel lonely and abandoned. So I selfishly wanted her off that island for that reason.”

“Then why didn’t you make sure she got off?” Leo demanded. “Even if it was selfish, at least she wouldn’t be on the island!”

Percy’s green eyes were very intimidating, Leo thought. They had the same glassy quality most of the older demigods had. The I’ve-seen-war look. But it felt like they could see into your very soul and tell you exactly what you were thinking or feeling.

“Annabeth had some very good reasons,” Percy sighed. “For one, you would probably never return to us since there would be no one on Ogygia. For two, if you returned, then there would be a pretty good chance you would die in the final battle.” His eyes bored into Leo’s head. “You read the note we sent you?”

Leo swallowed the lump in his throat. The note Percy and Annabeth had left him when they thought they weren’t coming back from Tartarus was probably the scariest thing he ever read. Up until this point, Leo had known he was supposed to die in the end. That was how they were going to defeat Gaea. That was how they  _ did _ defeat Gaea in Percy, Annabeth, and Nico’s original time.

But having it spelled out for him… that was terrifying.

_ Leo, _

_ Do not share this with anyone. We had hoped you might be free of this burden for just a bit longer, but we aren’t coming out of this place alive. _

_ The final battle will take place at Camp Half-Blood. You need to have Festus in flying condition by the time you reach Athens. Make sure you have the astrolabe and crystal ready too. I trust you understand what that means. _

_ The world  _ must _ fall to fire. Unfortunately, that is going to mean your death. I don’t know what your plan was exactly, but you flew Gaea up into the sky in Festus’ claw. When we saw you, your body was practically fire itself. You are going to be the firebomb that goes off to destroy Gaea, but your fire power alone is not going to be enough. You’ll need more power. I wish there was time for us to figure this out together. _

_ You should know that we don’t take the matter of ordering you to die lightly. Not even the knowledge that you will survive by using the Physician’s cure can ease my conscience. _

_ Rebuild Festus. Gather the ingredients for the Physician’s cure. Add the astrolabe and crystal to Festus. Give Festus the Physician’s cure (trust me, it will make a lot more sense later). Figure out a way to get more fire power to combine with your own power. Destroy Gaea and save Calypso. _

_ And… we’re sorry we couldn’t get her off that island. I wish we could explain in person. _

_ All our love, _

_ Annabeth Chase and  _ _ Percy Jackson _

“Yeah,” Leo mumbled. “The to-do list of my death?”

Percy grimaced. “Uh huh. Sorry about that. I guess it kinda freaked you out, right? We just wanted to give you guys your best chance at winning this thing.”

Leo stared at his hands as he fiddled with loose parts he pulled from his toolbelt. “Percy? Why… why us? Why are we always expected to lay down our lives for the gods or for the rest of the world? I don’t want to die, Percy,” his voice cracked.

“I don’t know why it’s us,” Percy answered. He seemed defeated which was an unusual look for him. “I wondered that the first time. Why me? I just survived the Titan War. I was the child of the Great Prophecy. For the longest time, I was just worried about seeing my sixteenth birthday because according to the Great Prophecy, the first child of the Big Three to hit sixteen would have a really important job.” He leaned back against a tree and let his hair fall over his face. “I thought after that, the gods would give me a break. Then Hera stole my memories and threw me into the  _ next _ Great Prophecy. I wondered why it was me she chose. She could have chosen anyone else, but she picked me. I understand why now, but…” he trailed off.

Leo hesitated. “Percy? I opened that fortune cookie back in Rome. Is that the reason you and Annabeth fell?”

Percy snorted. “No. At least I don’t think so. Maybe the first time, but definitely not this time. Annabeth and I knew what we were doing.” He smiled. “And honestly, in my experience, Nemesis usually takes something more personal. Like an eye. Or… or a life.”

Leo’s heart thudded. “So I doomed myself to die.”

“No,” Percy winced. “Uh, look. I’m not good at this stuff. Don’t look into it too much. Prophecies and these kinds of things never end well for those who do. Trust me. I spent my last few days before my sixteenth birthday thinking my soul was going to be reaped by a cursed blade. Wasn’t me though. My point is, nothing is ever as it seems.”

“Isn’t that from Wizards of Waverly Place?”

“Shut up, Valdez.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavy stuff. Oh gods, like, I can't even imagine what would be going through Leo's mind. In the books he knew he was probably going to die, but now he knows he's going to die, he knows exactly when he'll die and how, he knows everything. And it sucks for Percy, Annabeth, and Nico because they know Leo has to die and they have to tell him and they can't do much to stop it.


	45. Shadows (Nico XLV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look! Another chapter where I didn't use book text. At least... I don't think I did? Maybe a fragment or two during the part where- Well, I don't want to spoil it.

He lied. He was  _ supposed _ to be getting rest, but Nico was mostly concerned about the plan. The statue wasn’t brought to Camp Half-Blood until mere minutes before Gaea’s rise the first time. Would this affect anything major? Could this possibly be enough to turn the tide in their favor?

Nico left his room to go to Percy and Annabeth’s hoping they’d be there. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Percy came barreling down the hall.

“Nico!” Percy said, looking surprised. “I thought you were sleeping?”

“Can’t sleep,” Nico mumbled. “I’m worried about changing things too much. I mean, what if the Hunter attacks Camp? That would  _ decimate _ our forces. And Will won’t be there to patch anyone up.” He sighed. “I’m also worried about him being on the Argo II.”

Percy opened the door to his room and pulled Nico in. He shut the door and growled. “I hate not knowing what to do. We should be able to tell everyone with absolute certainty that this is what needs to happen.” He looked at Nico. “The prophecy Apollo gave Hecate. It’s got to have the answers we need, right?”

As much as Nico would like that to be the case, he highly doubted it would shed any kind of light on their current situation. As far as he knew, the crew of the Argo II didn’t even reach Delos for a few more days. Probably a week. The information could be too little too late.

“We’ll kill ourselves worrying over this,” Nico pointed out, trying to convince himself.

Percy nodded. “Right. Well, you should rest, Nico. We’re already a whole day behind schedule.”

“You act like it’s my fault for wanting to save you guys.”

“I didn’t say it was bad that you saved us. Just pointing out the facts.”

.

At sunset, Nico woke up and went to the Athena Parthenos statue to tie ropes for Reyna and Coach Hedge to hold onto.

“Are you sure about this?” Hazel asked him.

Nico shot her a sarcastic grin over his shoulder. “Oh yeah. What could possibly be better than  _ exploding _ into shadows, holding a  _ glowing _ Will Solace’s hand, sending Reyna and Coach Hedge hurtling through the shadows with the  _ Athena Parthenos _ to Camp Half-Blood, and probably passing out for like almost a whole day afterwards?” He finished securing the ropes and stepped back. “I love this idea.”

Hazel snorted. “Right.”

“Ready, Death Boy?” Will’s chipper voice asked.

“Dei, in cosa mi sto cacciando?” Nico muttered darkly. Louder, he said, “Don’t call me Death Boy.”

Will paused next to the statue. He swallowed. “I hope this works.”

A minute later, Reyna and Coach Hedge arrived in full armour with packs over their shoulders. Reyna looked grim and ready for combat. Coach Hedge grinned like he was expecting a surprise party.

“Now what?” Reyna asked Nico.

Nico gestured to the ropes. “Hold onto the ropes. As tight as you can, and don’t let go. No matter what you see or hear,  _ do not let go _ .”

Annabeth cast a worried look over the group. “You sure about trying this?”

“I like it better than our other options,” Will mumbled.

“We will succeed,” Reyna said confidently. “Nico and Will managed to pull you from Tartarus itself, yes? I believe in them.”

Nico felt a rush of overwhelming gratitude for Reyna. This was the Reyna he knew. The Reyna from his time. The one he had bonded with during their long trek across the world through the shadows. And suddenly, he was hoping that this didn’t work because he didn’t want to lose that friendship.

But his friends were counting on this to work. Besides, there would be more time to get to know Reyna after this. Time spent at Camp Half-Blood or at Camp Jupiter because they were  _ not _ going to let the war force them to flee to Olympus. Not this time.

“Alright,” Nico nodded. “Grab the ropes, please.” He grabbed a knot at the front of the statue. “I’m going to pull the shadows around us. Will, that’s when you’ll need to do… whatever you did before.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

He closed his eyes and reached out for the shadows. He called for them to wrap around him. He focused on the pain he felt when Bianca died. He focused on the jealousy that burned in him every time he saw Annabeth and Percy together in the other time. He focused on the hopelessness he felt both times in that bronze jar. He focused on the loss he felt when he woke up in the past and realized he had lost Will. He focused on the emotions that caused him to discover this power when he read Annabeth and Percy’s letters.

Nico opened his eyes to see the black shadows swirling around himself, the statue, Reyna, and Coach Hedge. Reyna looked awestruck at the sheer power he must have been radiating, while Coach Hedge looked a little fearful.

“Nico!”

Will’s voice was soft and sweet compared to the screams and moans of the shadows calling Nico to join them.

The first time, Nico had been shocked and surprised that this was even possible. Now that he was ready and expecting it, Nico could take it all in.

Will was glowing as bright as the hair in the stupid movie Will had forced Nico to watch one day. His blonde hair was bathed in golden light, his blue eyes glowed like Jason and Thalia’s when they summoned lightning. It was stunning.

“Nico!” Will shouted, extending his hand.

_ Angel’s light _ … His light in the darkness, always there to keep Nico grounded.

Nico stretched for Will’s hand and squeezed it tight.

The shadows receded, leaving Will still glowing amidst the swirling shadows. The Athena Parthenos was at the top of Half-Blood Hill with Reyna and Coach Hedge still clinging to the ropes. Nico could see the confused Roman and Greek campers in the background moving closer to see what was going on.

“Don’t let go of the ropes until the shadows disappear!” Nico ordered them.

“Go kick some giant podex!” Reyna called back.

By this time, some of the campers were almost to the hill. Nico recognized Rachel, Kayla, Lou Ellen, Austin, and Cecil.

“Nico? Will?” Kayla exclaimed.

“Kayla!” Will shouted happily.

“Tell Chiron Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Will, and I are on our way to Athens!” Nico yelled, ignoring Will’s friends. “Get the camps ready! Gaea  _ will _ wake on the first!”

He could feel his hand slipping from Will’s grasp. His eyes widened and he tried to grasp Will’s hand tighter.

“Nico! Come back!” Will’s voice said.

But it was so far away. Why was it so far away? He was right there. Holding Will’s hand.

“Nico! NICO!”

Nico barely had time to register Will’s panicked shouts before his hand completely slipped. He stumbled forward toward something. His head slammed into something hard. He blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Looks like Nico messed that up. That's unfortunate.
> 
> Translation:  
> Dei, in cosa mi sto cacciando? --> Gods, what am I getting myself into?


	46. Octavian (Rachel XLVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like having Rachel's POV in here. Gives us a little insight into the goings on at Camp.

The arrogant blonde jerk face was really getting on Rachel’s nerves.

If one had to describe Octavian in one word, Rachel would not choose a very nice one. The augur had only been at Camp Half-Blood for a few days, but he had the audacity to insult her Oracle cave Apollo had set up quite generously, claim she was a fake since she couldn’t spew prophecies and green smoke on command (but given that the gift of the prophecy was gone for now, Octavian couldn’t do any stuffed animal gut reading either and he went red when Rachel asked him to do so), and worst of all Octavian tried to get himself placed in charge of the Apollo cabin in Will’s absence.

Rachel almost smacked his smug little face straight back to New Rome.

“I’m going to kill him,” Kayla muttered as she sat next to Rachel at the Apollo table for lunch.

Octavian was at the other end of the table talking loudly about all the great things he foresaw and how he was communicating with Apollo daily to get answers.

Austin slid into the seat across from them. “Who are we killing?”

“Do you need to ask?” Rachel grumbled. Her face brightened though. “Hey, do you think Lou Ellen would be able to use the Mist to make me look like I was giving a prophecy?”

Kayla snickered at the idea. “Oh gods, I hope so. Austin, can you come up with something for Rachel to say?”

“My honor to,” Austin grinned. “Can I bash Octavian?”

“Bashing Octavian was practically a given,” Cecil said from behind Austin. He dropped into the seat next to him. “My Hermes sense was tingling. Who’s idea was this?”

Kayla and Austin pointed to Rachel.

Cecil whistled appreciatively. “Nice.”

“I threw a plastic hairbrush at Kronos. I can be mischievous,” Rachel said in a haughty voice. She held the ‘better than you look’ for a second before bursting into laughter.

.

Rachel, Kayla, Austin, Cecil, and Lou Ellen met up after lunch to discuss their bogus prophecy when it happened.

A Roman camper shrieked and pointed up at Thalia’s tree.

Rachel glanced over and her eyes narrowed. At the top of Half-Blood Hill, a large black mass was swirling around what looked like a statue.

“No way,” she breathed.

Lou Ellen did a double take. “Gods, what is that? It’s so… dark,” she gasped.

“Come on!” Cecil said jumping to his feet.

They charged towards the hill to see a gleaming ivory statue. Two figures had a tight grasp on the ropes surrounding it. One was Reyna. The other looked like a satyr.

“-go of the ropes until the shadows disappear!” a voice ordered.

“Nico di Angelo?” Austin gasped, looking at his friends.

“Go kick some giant podex!” Reyna called back.

They finally reached the top of the hill and looked around the statue to see a swirling mass of black shadows. At the center was a glowing figure, and holding onto the glowing figure was Nico di Angelo.

“Nico? Will?” Kayla exclaimed.

Rachel’s eyes widened. Upon closer inspection, the glowing figure in the shadows  _ was _ Will Solace.

“Kayla!” Will shouted happily.

“Tell Chiron Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Will, and I are on our way to Athens!” Nico yelled. “Get the camps ready! Gaea  _ will _ wake on the first!”

Gaea  _ will _ wake. Oh gods. In a couple weeks they would be fighting the Earth herself.

“Nico! Come back!” Will screamed. “Nico! NICO!”

Nico di Angelo stumbled out of the shadows towards the giant statue he had just helped deliver. Rachel cringed as she heard the  _ CRACK _ of Nico’s skull against the hard stone. The son of Hades crumpled as the shadows closed around a horrified Will Solace before dissipating.

“Nico!” Kayla exclaimed, rushing over to his still form. She looked at Rachel. “Help me get him to the infirmary.” She looked at Cecil and Austin. “You two! Help those guys,” she said pointing to Reyna and the satyr.

“What was that?” Cecil mumbled.

“Since when does Will  _ glow _ ?” Austin asked. “He looked like Rapunzel’s hair in Tangled. I’m going to sing Flower Gleam and Glow next time I see him.”

“Austin and Cecil!” Kayla shrieked. “Now!”

The two boys jumped, and started moving towards Reyna and the satyr.

“What’s going on?” Chiron’s voice came. He galloped over to the top of the hill.

Reyna let go of the rope she was holding. Her hair was windswept and strands were loose from her braid. She drew herself up and looked at Chiron and the rest of the campers. “Greeks. I, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, daughter of Bellona, return to you the Athena Parthenos which Romans stole as an offering of peace and to hopefully begin anew as allies.” Once she finished her spiel, her body seemed to sag. “Huh, Nico was right, we might be unconscious for a while,” she mumbled so quietly, Rachel barely heard her.

Reyna and the satyr, who Rachel identified as Coach Gleeson Hedge, the one who left with Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo, suddenly pitched forward.

Campers shouted out in alarm and moved to catch them.

“Attention!” Chiron said loudly. “If some of you could please move Reyna and Coach Hedge to the infirmary? Kayla, please attend to Nico quickly. Lou Ellen, go get the rest of the Apollo cabin ready. And will someone alert the Athena cabin that their mother’s statue has been returned?”

Rachel helped Kayla carry Nico to the infirmary where they set him down on one of the beds.

“It could be worse,” Kayla said in relief. “Nico told Will once that he almost dissolved into shadows after a long jump. Luckily, it’s just a concussion and  _ extreme _ exhaustion.”

When had Nico done a long shadow travel journey? Maybe one of his accidental China stops, but Nico never mentioned turning into shadows before. Her eyes narrowed at the passed out form of Nico di Angelo.

.

Reyna woke up four hours later. Chiron called for an immediate meeting with the Head counselors and the Roman leaders. Unfortunately, that meant Octavian got to tag along.

“A silly statue is not going to abolish centuries of fighting,” Octavian said loudly. “Reyna, you cannot be serious about working with the Greeks.”

Reyna inhaled sharply. “Octavian, you would do well to watch what you say. By your standards, you are in an enemy camp. Do not anger the Greeks.” She looked at Rachel. “Besides, I am more concerned about Nico. You were with him earlier? How is he?”

Rachel glanced at Kayla who seemed to understand that Rachel wasn’t sure about what to say.

“He’s stable,” Kayla said hesitantly. “He and… and Will shadow traveled you and the statue from Epirus, right? It’s a long distance, and I’m surprised he’s not fading into shadows. Will always worried Nico would fade away if he overdid the shadow traveling. But the worst Nico has is a severe concussion from headbutting the Athena Parthenos. I just… we don’t know  _ when _ he’ll wake up.”

“He’ll recover though, and that’s the most important thing,” Chiron said. He looked at Reyna. “Gaea. She’s going to wake on August 1st, correct?”

“That’s what the giants have told the Seven so far,” Reyna confirmed.

“Speaking of the Seven,” Rachel interrupted. “What about Percy and Annabeth? Last we heard, they were in Tartarus, but Nico said something about them.”

Reyna smiled. “I arrived to find the crew celebrating despite four people who were quite clearly unconscious. Nico and Will… I do not know how they did it, but from my understanding, Nico shadow traveled to Tartarus and grabbed Percy and Annabeth. Will acted as a sort of anchor I think?”

“Incredible,” Lou Ellen breathed.

“Speaking of incredible things,” Reyna said with a smug sort of look at Octavian. “Congratulations, Octavian. The Legion has a new praetor. Jason gave Frank Zhang and emergency field promotion. Percy gave his consent and I approve, so I expect you to listen to Praetor Zhang when he returns.”

Octavian sputtered.

“This is so much better than what I had planned,” Rachel whispered to Kayla.

“To more important matters,” Reyna continued, “the Argo II intends to sail for Athens.”

“They won’t be here when Gaea wakes?” Katie Gardner asked in surprise.

Rachel bit her lip. “I think Gaea intends to rise in Athens. At least, whatever she needs to do to wake has to happen in Athens. Reyna, did they tell you anything?”

Reyna shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Nico said to prepare,” Kayla pointed out. “We’re going to need all the best sword fighters giving lessons nonstop.”

“We can set up defenses around the camp,” Travis Stoll volunteered.

“I’ll have a few of our best builders join you,” Reyna nodded. “We build forts for War Games in less time than we have till Gaea wakes. We can have some excellent barriers built before Gaea’s army arrives.”

Clarisse nodded slowly. “That sounds good. Malcolm and I are working on strategy. Would be better if we had Annabeth here though.” She scowled.

“We can make due,” Reyna said. “I’ll send some of our strategists your way.”

“Chiron?” Rachel asked. “Should we call Thalia? The Hunters would definitely be a big help in battle.”

Chiron nodded. “Send word to Thalia.” He looked around the ping-pong table at everyone gathered. “The last time we met like this was before the Battle of Manhattan. I wish none of you had to fight these battles. Train hard in the coming days. Gaea rises in less than two weeks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah. I'm not Octavian's biggest fan.
> 
> So Nico is unconscious at Camp Half-Blood and Will is with the Seven on the Argo II. Originally, Nico wasn't supposed to get stuck at Camp, but I ended up changing that because of a few reasons. One, this new shadow travel thing cannot be a get out of jail free card. Two, the characters need a little splitting up. In one of his interviews, Rick Riordan said seven was a lot of main characters. He's right. With Will and Nico, I have nine main characters. It's a lot. Three, Solangelo set up?


	47. Hello (Percy XLVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from House of Hades

It was bad. Honestly, Percy should have known tempting the Fates like this would end up badly. They just wanted to shortcut the long journey Nico took with the statue, but no.

Will’s scream for Nico panicked them. Then, the shadows dissolved and Will was standing there with his hand still outstretched, but Nico was nowhere to be found.

“Will…?” Annabeth began, hand over her mouth.

“Nico,” Will said quietly. “His hand was slipping. I… I tried to pull him back, but then suddenly he was falling forward and his hand was gone.” He looked horrified. “I should be there! I need to be there! He could be fading into the shadows as we speak! Oh gods, I suggested we try this. It’s my-” he cut off. Will blinked once. Twice. Then he flopped to the ground.

Percy and Jason caught him.

.

The Argo II sailed after nightfall. They veered southwest until they reached the coast, then splashed down in the Ionian Sea. Percy was relieved to feel the waves beneath him again. It would have been a shorter trip to Athens over land, but after the crew’s experience with mountain spirits in Italy, they’d decided not to fly over Gaia’s territory any more than they had to. They would sail around the Greek mainland, following the routes that Greek heroes had taken in the ancient times.

Besides, it hadn’t taken much convincing that this was the best route to take. Leo mumbled something about it being nice to have helpful time travelers. Percy took that to mean Nico probably didn’t offer as much future knowledge as Leo had hoped.

_ Nico… _

Percy didn’t understand what had happened, but he knew enough not to ask Will whenever the son of Apollo woke up. Percy stood at the starboard rail and closed his eyes, sensing the currents beneath them. As much as he wanted to be hopeful that Nico would be okay, he couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that Nico was not okay. It didn’t help that images of Tartarus kept burning in his mind – the River Phlegethon, the blistered ground where monsters regenerated, the dark forest where arai circled overhead in the blood-mist clouds.

Annabeth pressed next to him at the rail, her warmth reassuring. “I know,” she murmured, reading his expression. “I can’t get that place out of my head, either.”

“I was so scared when we thought we weren’t coming out,” Percy confessed. “Everything in me was fighting the idea, and I wanted so bad to just shove you in the elevator with Bob and Damasen.” He snorted. “I know you probably would have killed me if I did that though.”

Annabeth was quiet. “I wanted to do the same thing. I… going into this quest I knew someone had to close the Doors and I knew we couldn’t let it be any of our friends because we  _ know _ what it’s like down there, and we could never put them through that. But, you know, I always thought that we would be able to make it out. Then it all happened so fast, and we had no idea what to do and there was no way we would be calling Bob, so who would hold the button?” She sniffled. “When Cassidy showed up I thought this might be our chance. She’s a monster, an empousa. Who cares if she gets stuck? She can crawl her way out later. But then she said she couldn’t get us out. And then in the end, I realized I could never leave her because…”

“Because not all monsters are bad,” Percy finished. “Like, I know she’ll regenerate somewhere, and be back one day, but it was a shock to see her die like that.”

“We have to beat Gaea, Percy,” Annabeth said determinedly. “We have to. For…” she hesitated. “For Nico.”

Percy stared into the night sky. He wished they were looking at it from the beach on Long Island rather than from halfway around the world, sailing towards Gaea’s awakening.

It was July 19th. Thirteen days to reach Athens and figure out a solid plan to defeat Gaea.

Over in the bow, Leo whistled as he tinkered with Festus’s mechanical brain, muttering about a crystal and an astrolabe. Amidships, Piper and Hazel practised their swordplay, gold and bronze blades ringing in the night. Jason and Frank stood at the helm, talking in low tones – maybe telling stories of the legion or sharing thoughts on being praetor. Percy never asked what they were talking about the first time. Will was asleep in his room. Hopefully, he would be awake tomorrow.

“We’ve got a good crew,” Percy said with a wry grin. “We’ve got us the two time wanderers of Tartarus, Superman Jason, Pied Piper, Repair Boy Leo, Mystical Hazel, Frank the any animal he wants to be, and the Angel’s light Will. Who could ask for a better crew?”

“I could ask for better nicknames,” Annabeth laughed. She kissed him. “When we win this war, we’re going to finish high school, and go to college in New Rome. Yeah?”

“Whatever you say,” Percy smiled.

As they sailed further from the coast, the sky darkened and more stars came out. Percy studied the constellations – the ones Annabeth had taught him so many years ago.

“Hello,” Percy said, looking up at the sky.

Annabeth leaned into Percy and sighed happily. She looked up too. “Percy and Annabeth say hello,” she said.

“Nico says hello,” Percy added.

Annabeth squeezed his hand and they stood there for a while just looking up at all the different constellations. The Argo II sailed into the night.

.

“Something is ahead of us,” Hazel told them at breakfast a couple days later. She frowned. “It’s the biggest gathering of evil spirits I’ve ever sensed. I… I’m not sure what it is exactly.”

Annabeth grimaced. “I know. That would be Ithaca. Gaea resurrected all the suitors, so they’re just kinda hanging out there. Last time, Hazel disguised Jason as an old beggar and Piper and I went as pretty girls.”

“Jason almost died too,” Percy added, receiving a smack from Annabeth. “Ow! What?”

“You don’t just tell people they almost died!”

“We told all of them they all died in the other timeline,” Percy protested. “Besides, if we have to make that stop, wouldn’t you rather Jason know?”

Jason cleared his throat. “Uh, how exactly did I almost die?”

“Michael Varus stabbed you in the back,” Percy said matter-of-factly.

Frank’s jaw dropped. “The dude who lost the eagle?”

“He’s a ghost now,” Percy waved off. “It was super bad. Like, I don’t think Will could have done anything, and Will is like the best healer besides Apollo.”

“Nice of you to say,” Will’s voice said from the doorway.

Percy looked at him. Will looked fine, but his voice was tired and he almost appeared to be leaning against the wall for support.

“Considering I can’t even do anything to heal my best friend,” Will kept going. “Yeah, I’m a great healer.”

“Nico was  _ not _ your fault,” Hazel said firmly. Her voice quivered. “I miss him too, okay? But… but wallowing in our self pity isn’t going to help anyone. We can Iris Message Camp Half-Blood and see if Nico’s okay.”

“What if he’s not?” Will shouted. “I should be there! I  _ am _ the best healer at Camp! Everything I got from my dad was healing powers.  _ Everything _ . Nico could have dissolved into shadows, and I was here doing nothing! It’ll be my fault if something happens to him.” He clenched his fists and sat at the table. “How long has it been?” he asked tersely.

“About two days,” Piper answered. She put a plate of food in front of him. “Eat.”

Will stabbed at the eggs on his plate like a knife wielding maniac.

“Dude, you okay?” Leo asked, looking concerned.

“No!” Will snapped. “Just… just leave me alone.”

Percy blinked. Even during the most stressful time of the war, Will had always kept a calm and level head. It was just one more thing that set Nico and Will apart as polar opposites. Nico got angry. Will didn’t.

Piper met Percy’s eyes. He could see her questioning look, and he shrugged.

“Jason?” Piper said, eyes not leaving Will. “Can you and Percy go up for guard duty?”

“Leo, can you keep working on that project I asked you about?” Annabeth asked.

Leo frowned. “I’m not done eating. And I wanna hear about Jason’s near death experience.”

“Leo!” Annabeth sighed. “Take your food with you if you want, but please, just go.”

Percy gestured to Will, hoping Leo would understand. The son of Hephaestus tilted his head in confusion, then his eyes widened and he nodded, quickly leaving.

“I’m going to go fly around up top and see if I can see any threats,” Frank volunteered.

“We’ll go with you,” Annabeth agreed. “Well, we’ll be on the deck and ready for whatever comes at us.” She dragged Percy out with Frank. Jason and Hazel trailed after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the last chapter with sections from House of Hades. Moving onto Blood of Olympus.
> 
> Aww, Will's missing Nico...


	48. Psychology (Piper XLVIII)

“You cannot snap at us just because you’re missing Nico,” Piper said, crossing her arms. “It doesn’t help anyone, and in case you haven’t noticed, the rest of us miss him too. He’s Hazel’s brother for the gods’ sake!”

Will’s expression crumpled. “I… sorry.”

Piper sighed. “I get it, okay? I would probably be as snappy as you if this happened to Jason. But it’s not just that, right? What else is it?”

Will sighed. “I guess I should have known  _ you’d _ pick up on it.” He stabbed a strawberry slice. “You cannot tell anyone because I don’t even know if I have this right.” He paused. “When I touched Nico’s hand when we did that whole Hades and Apollo powers combine or whatever the first time, I could feel a lot of pain. Emotional pain. I just assumed it was because Percy and Annabeth decided to just hang out in Tartarus forever without asking us, but then when we transported Reyna, Coach Hedge, and the statue to Camp, I felt the same pain, but it was way stronger. It was like he was focusing all the pain he’s ever felt into the shadows.” Will looked down at his plate. “Nico always says he’s fine, and everyone believes him, but I could feel that emotional pain he’s hiding. I’m scared that he’ll let go and let the shadows take him. I… all that pain was overwhelming, Piper. But he’s never said anything to me before.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand. I’m his friend and his doctor! I could help him!”

Piper bit her lip. “Maybe that’s the problem, Will. He doesn’t want a doctor to analyze him. He just needs a friend who can listen.” She hesitated. “When we get him back, and we will get him back, you should talk to him. Because you’re right. You  _ are _ his friend. Probably his closest friend. You might have attributed the change in Nico to him being from the future and having that close relationship with Percy and Annabeth because they’re from the future too, but I would say that the Will from the future that Nico was friends with is the one who made that change happen.”

So far, Piper thought she was doing pretty good with this whole listening and giving advice thing. Maybe it came with the territory of being the daughter of the goddess of love, or maybe it was just because she was good at it. Either way, Will seemed to be more relaxed and less irritable.

“Anything else you want to talk about?” Piper asked gently.

Will sighed. “It’s stupid. Just… I can’t help thinking Nico let go on purpose.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Piper shook her head.

“Why wouldn’t he?” Will asked. He looked down. “Ever since I first saw Nico during the Battle of the Labyrinth…” he smiled faintly. “He was everything I wasn’t. He charged into battle fearlessly, and he was  _ good _ at fighting. Nico di Angelo was the epitome of cool. Then, again in the Battle of Manhattan. He showed up with an army of the dead, and three gods in tow. He convinced Hades, Persephone, and Demeter to come help. Meanwhile, I’m just a healer who can’t fight to save my life. Why would he  _ want _ to be friends with me when he could hang out with anyone he wants?”

“Because he likes you better than anyone else,” Piper sighed. “He had a really good friend in you in the future. Or at least I think he did. He… he cares about you, Will. A lot.”

“Nico said he was dating someone when he came back in time,” Will said suddenly. “I don’t think she likes him right now though.”

Piper almost facepalmed. She could handle listening to people’s problems and giving them advice, but helping people with relationships was definitely out of her comfort zone. She barely knew what she was doing in her own relationship with Jason.

“First of all,” Piper began, “you probably shouldn’t go around handing out that information. That’s Nico’s to share when he’s ready. Second, whatever kind of pain you felt from Nico, I don’t think it’s heartache. As the daughter of Aphrodite, I can sense that, and I don’t really get that much from Nico. Most of it, I’m assuming since it’s very faded, is from the first crush. The one he got over.” She patted Will’s arm. “Now. Let’s go set up an Iris Message?”

Will sighed, but nodded.

They went to the deck where everyone was waiting.

“Percy, can you make a nice mist for us?” Piper asked pleasantly.

Percy complied, and a light spray of mist floated out of the sea below them.

“O Fleecy, do us a solid,” Piper said awkwardly. “Show us, uh…”

“Kayla,” Will suggested.

“Show us Kayla at Camp Half-Blood,” Piper finished. She tossed a drachma into the rainbow mist.

The mist shimmered and cleared to show a girl with green hair and a girl with red hair. The green haired girl looked up. Her eyes widened.

“Will? Oh my gods, Will, are you okay?”

“Hi, Kayla,” Will said quietly. “Hey, Rachel.”

Rachel Dare glanced over at something. She looked back at them with a sad look. “I know why you’re calling, Will,” she said. “Nico’s okay. Unconscious, but okay.”

“Thank gods,” Jason let out a breath.

Kayla, the girl with the green hair, offered them a small smile. “He’ll probably be out for at least a few more hours if not another day. We can message you when he wakes up.”

“Nevermind that,” Will said impatiently. “When can he come back? How can he come back?”

Kayla scowled at Will. “Excuse me? There is no way Nico is going to be in any condition to fight let alone shadow travel back the exact distance only longer that put him in this position.” She frowned. “I thought you would know that, Will. You barely let Nico do anything for himself when he uses too much ‘Underworld-y magic’ or whatever,” Kayla quoted.

“While you guys are IM-ing us,” Rachel interrupted, “can you tell us the plan? You’re going to Athens? What about Camp? We need you guys here.”

“Gaea plans to have her resurrection ceremony in Athens,” Annabeth explained. “The giants will all be there. We’ll take care of them, and then head your way.”

Piper frowned. Annabeth and Percy had not quite revealed their plan to defeat Gaea. It didn’t sit right with Piper, but anything would be better than what happened in the future they came from.

Kayla’s eyes widened. “Oh gods, AUSTIN!” she shouted to someone out of the message. “AUSTIN! I need help, Austin!”

“Got to go!” Rachel said, looking equally as panicked. She swiped through the message.

“No!” Will yelled. “Did something happen to Nico? What happened?”

Piper was beginning to think there was a lot more to Will Solace and Nico di Angelo that she previously thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have much to say here. Uh, I suppose I can add that I also started posting this on ffn, but it's slow going. Uh, also, I'm writing the final battle right now, so if there's anything y'all wanna see for sure, let me know and I'll look into it.


	49. Bianca di Angelo (Nico XLIX)

It was dark. And cold.

“-co. Nico. Wake up!”

He opened his eyes. A face he hadn’t seen since he said goodbye after the Battle of the Labyrinth.

Bianca di Angelo looked down at him in concern. “Are you okay?” Her black eyes shone with concern. Her brown hair was falling over her face, and her floppy green hat hid her face.

“I’m okay,” Nico sputtered. He looked around in alarm. “What happened?”

Bianca helped him stand up. “You slipped. Hit your head on the machine,” she explained pointing to the pinball machine next to him. “You sure you’re okay?”

Nico rubbed his head and frowned. “I’m sure. Can we go somewhere else?”

“Right,” Bianca sighed. “I forgot I promised to play that game with you.”

“Huh?” Nico said as he followed Bianca towards a group of tables. He did a double take when he realized where he was.

The Lotus Casino Hotel was not quite a fondly remembered experience. For the longest time, the Hotel had been his earliest memory, and it served as a reminder that his father had erased his memories and left him and his sister in that Hotel for decades.

But something was wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Bianca wasn’t supposed to be here. Mythomagic… he didn’t start playing that until he left the Hotel.

“What’s going on?” Nico asked quietly. “I know this isn’t real.”

Bianca gave him a sad look. “It could be,” she said. “You got the statue to Camp Half-Blood. You’ve been through so much, Nico. It’s okay to be done now.”

It was tempting. After all, he hadn’t asked for this, for any of this. Why should he have to try to fix the world? Why did he have to be the one to time travel?

But still, it wasn’t as tempting as it might have been a few years ago. A few years ago when he was still feeling the loss of Percy to Annabeth, and even Bianca’s death weighed heavily on him. He would have taken the offer in a heartbeat. Now he had Will. Sort of. If he let go… Will would miss him. He would miss Will, too.

“I can’t,” he told her. “I have to go back.”

Bianca looked down. “I understand. You’ll go back. For now, let’s talk. We have a lot to catch up on.” She smiled at him. “Tell me about your life.”

“Are you really Bianca?” The childish question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

“Sort of,” Bianca answered. “I, Bianca that is, chose to be reborn. You can’t recall her spirit until she dies again. But you’re asleep. You’ve wandered into dreams before. I guess you could say I’m part spirit of Bianca di Angelo and part subconscious of you.” She frowned, then shrugged. “In the ways it matters, I’m Bianca.”

“I miss you,” Nico blurted. He swallowed. “I wanted to bring you back when Thanatos was chained.”

Bianca looked down. “I know. I probably would have come with you. I miss you too, but I don’t want to see you any time soon. You have a good family, Nico. Don’t…” she choked. “Don’t take them for granted.”

“You should have met them in person,” Nico said.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Bianca said teasingly. “I don’t think I could have helped myself from joining Percy in teasing you mercilessly about not liking water very much. You prefer sunshine, right?”

Nico threw his hands up. “Oh my gods,” he mumbled. “I’m starting to think you’re actually Percy in disguise.”

“Will Solace is nice,” Bianca laughed. “I’m glad you found someone. He’s good for you, you know. And you’re good for him.”

Despite himself, Nico could feel a smile creeping onto his face. “He’s too good for me,” Nico smiled. “And he’s a dork most of the time.”

Bianca’s laugh made Nico long for his sister. He had not heard that laugh in ages.

“I wish I could have met Hazel,” Bianca added. “She seems like a cool sister.”

“She is,” Nico agreed. “The Seven… they’re all great. Jason’s decided to be my brother which I don’t mind as long as he leaves me out of his bro fights with Percy. If they weren’t so hopelessly in love with their girlfriends,” he shook his head. “Anyway, Leo’s crazy, but we all missed him when we thought he was dead.” His voice caught.

Bianca seemed to pick up on his thoughts. “You’re worried about the future.”

“I don’t want things to be the same as before,” Nico whispered. “If we’ve come all this way, done all these new changes, and we still fail to end the war on time… then what was the point? Why did we even come back in time? And why the three of us? Why not Piper or Calypso or Will? I’m scared, Bianca.”

Bianca hummed quietly. “You’re doing a lot of worrying. Look at it this way. You were sent back in time to fix things for the better. You, Percy, and Annabeth were chosen because you three are the only ones who are capable of changing things. You got the statue back way early, and the Greeks and Romans are getting along much better. Percy and Annabeth got Bob and Damasen out of Tartarus. That’s two more allies for you guys in Athens.”

_ Athens _ .

Nico’s eyes widened. “Oh no! Bianca! Athens! Will and the Seven are going to Athens right now, and I’m at Camp Half-Blood!” All his memories came flooding back. “Bianca, I have to wake up! I have to get back to the Argo II!”

“Calm down!” Bianca shouted.

But he couldn’t. Not when his friends could be in danger all because he couldn’t keep a hold on Will’s hand.

_ “-TIN! AUSTIN! I need help, Austin!” _

_ “Got to go. Kayla, what’s going on?” _

“Nico, calm down,” Bianca said forcefully. “Your body needs to heal. Your friends are worried.”

_ “-at’s going on! He was fine! Going into-” _

_ “Hold him down!” _

Nico gasped as a calming sensation rushed over him. “What?”

“You just got sedated,” Bianca said in an annoyed voice. She seemed to be fading in and out. “I can’t stay. Just… try to remain calm until you wake up, okay? You freaked the Apollo kids out.” Then she was gone.

Nico blinked slowly as the Lotus Casino Hotel became blurry. He closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sneak peek into what's going on with Nico. You didn't think I was just going to strand him at Camp Half-Blood without giving you some answers, did you?


	50. Now What (Annabeth L)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of reaching over 50 reviews (because I always make sure to respond to each review, so the number you see is actually double the real amount) here is Chapter Fifty!

“So I’ve been thinking,” Annabeth started.

Leo groaned. “Ugh. Not good words to start with, Annabeth.”

Annabeth ignored him. “Last time, we stopped in Ithaca. When we were there, we learned that we have to sail around the Peloponnese, but also that Nike or Victoria is ‘out of control,’” she said using finger quotes. “I don’t know if she’s warring with herself this time since the Greeks and Romans are on civil terms now at least. But I’m worried. If we don’t stop in Olympia to ‘subdue’ her, then that could cost us the war. Or if we do stop and she’s not there, that will cost us valuable time.”

“That would be bad,” Frank agreed. “I vote we just make the two stops. One in Olympia, one at the Acropolis. The end. Done.”

“We have to go to Delos,” Percy pointed out. “Apollo and Artemis are there.”

“Are they?” Jason asked worriedly. “I mean, I’d like to find out this prophecy Apollo gave Hecate as much as you guys, especially since you two didn’t know a thing about it, but the gods don’t have warring children. Are you sure Apollo and Artemis are in Delos?”

Annabeth frowned. “I guess we could visit the suitors anyway. I… well, I don’t like the idea of calling  _ her _ , but last time Jason called Juno. She might be able to tell us something.”

“Wait. Annabeth!” Jason said suddenly. His outburst startled Annabeth. Her new drakon bone sword was drawn in an instant. She immediately lowered it upon seeing Jason’s alarmed face.

“Sorry,” Annabeth muttered. “What is it?”

Jason bit his lip. “The gods know. Well, some of them do I guess. When Nico and I saw Cupid, he said he knew, but Favonus didn’t know, so I think it’s only some of them. He knew about-” Jason cut himself off. His hand clamped over his mouth.

Annabeth knew what he meant. Cupid knew about Will. There were few gods that  _ didn’t _ irritate Annabeth. But there were two gods that really ticked her off. Hera and Cupid. Her blood boiled at the thought of them. Hera had kidnapped Percy for months and taken away his memory. Cupid on the other hand had forced Nico to admit his crush on Percy  _ in front of Jason _ . Not that Jason would ever betray Nico, but when Annabeth had found out what exactly had transpired to cause Nico and Jason to form such a close bond, she had been furious.

“Well that’s not really good,” Percy mumbled. He pulled a face. “I could try my dad? Out of all of us, we probably have the best relationship.”

“I don’t know,” Annabeth said hesitantly. “Poseidon knowing… I don’t think any of the Big Three should know. It would spell disaster.” She bit her lip. “There’s like a handful of gods I  _ might _ trust with knowing we’re from the future. Hestia or Artemis or Hermes. Like, ones that wouldn’t abuse it.”

“Fair point,” Piper said. She gave Annabeth a quizzical look. “What about your mom? She’s the wisdom goddess. Surely she wouldn’t abuse it?”

“Technically, my mom and I aren’t supposed to be on very good terms since she gave me the Mark,” Annabeth admitted. “But I never really got over it the first time, so I haven’t really spoken to her since she gave me the Mark the first time. There’s really only a few gods that might not abuse this.”

Leo let out a huff. “Then what now?”

“Hestia might help us,” Annabeth began hesitantly. “She’s hearth, home, and family. I just… I’ve never tried to summon a god before. With Juno, we got her attention by cleansing Odysseus’ home, but with Hestia, I’m not sure.”

“Hearth and home, right?” Frank asked. He gestured to all of them with his hands. “Family. The eight of us are pretty much family at this point, and the Argo II is our home. We just need a hearth. Burn some offerings and pray to her… should get her attention.”

Percy nodded. “She told me that most people never stop to talk to her. ‘No time for family’ I think she said. All eight of us praying to her? That’s got to get her attention.”

“Great!” Leo said, clapping his hands. “Let’s build a nice fire out on the deck.”

.

Apparently Leo’s definition of a nice fire was different than Annabeth’s. It wasn’t anything crazy since Leo didn’t want to risk burning down his precious ship, but it definitely was not what Annabeth had in mind.

Leo had gotten a large metal trash can and put pretty much every unneeded flammable object inside, lit his hands on fire, and placed his hands into the can until a fire was roaring.

Annabeth was kinda hoping it would have been a small, peaceful fire.

“Now what?” Will asked.

“We are family,” Percy tried to sing. “Something something something with me.”

Will grimaced. “Gods that was worse than me.”

“You can’t sing?” Frank asked Will in surprise. “Aren’t you an Apollo kid?”

Will scowled. “Just because I’m Apollo’s son, doesn’t mean I can do everything he can.”

“Just because Apollo’s the god of something doesn’t mean he or his kids are actually good at it,” Percy added. “Like, have you heard Apollo’s haikus? My ears are bleeding just thinking about them.”

“When did you meet Apollo?” Jason asked in confusion.

“When your sister crashed the sun chariot into the lake at Camp Half-Blood,” Percy answered. “Apollo let her drive.” He had a fond look. “We just retrieved little baby Nico actually. He was all like ‘Woah! Apollo! He has six hundred attack!’ Or something like that.”

“Plus 30 health and 2000 defense,” Frank corrected. His face went red. “I played Mythomagic before.”

“What’s it like?” Hazel asked quietly, changing the attention from her boyfriend to her. “In the future. I mean, I know most of us are, uh, not around anymore, but I’d like to hear about the good stuff.”

“Our first month after the war ended was spent in the Underworld,” Percy said cheerfully. “Nico roped us into helping out.”

Annabeth lightly shoved his shoulder. “Liar. Nico asked if we could help him keep his sanity.” She turned to the rest of the group. “Almost the whole world was kinda, um, dead, so the Underworld was a mess. Will, Percy, and I helped out.”

Percy snorted. “Haha, remember how Charon kept bringing up the time Annabeth, Grover, and I drowned in a bathtub.”

“You drowned in a bathtub?” Hazel asked in confusion.

“Why were all three of you in a bathtub?” Frank frowned.

Annabeth shared a look with Percy. “It was a big bathtub,” they said together.

“Anyways, we were twelve and I needed to demand Hades give me back my mom,” Percy continued. “That was the only thing I could come up with on the spot.” He grimaced. “Hey, Jason? Did Thalia ever tell you about the time we met Apollo?”

“She crashed the chariot?” Jason asked uncertainly. “You just told me that.”

Percy waved it off. “No, no. Not that. And it was more like the sun bus.” He smiled. “This was before she joined the Hunters of course. She was totally into Apollo. Said he was ‘hot,’” Percy said with finger quotes.

Thalia? Apollo? Annabeth snorted.

Jason’s face was priceless. “My sister had a crush on Apollo?”

“Ew, gods, no,” Will grumbled. “I  _ know _ Thalia. Ugh, if my dad goes anywhere  _ near _ her I don’t think I could ever look at either of them again. Can we talk about something else?”

“How about the time Jason ate a stapler,” Piper said slyly.

“Low blow,” Jason scowled.

Frank and Hazel were laughing. “I haven’t heard this before,” Hazel said through tears of laughter. “When was that?”

“I was a baby, okay?” Jason defended himself.

“You were two according to Thalia,” Leo grinned.

“Can we talk about  _ other _ people’s embarrassing baby moments?” Jason complained.

Annabeth’s shoulder shook. “Oh, but we’re having so much fun talking about the stapler. What’s a little embarrassment between family?”

The fire flared, and Annabeth jumped to her feet. A quick glance around told her the others had too.

“Family,” a voice said from behind her.

Annabeth spun around.

Bathed in light from the fire was a young girl. She appeared to be a young teenager. Her brown hair swirled around her face in the wind, and her eyes reflected the warm fire.

“Lady Hestia,” Percy said, bowing.

Hestia smiled. “Hello, children.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, I think I said this last chapter, but if there's anything specific you want to see, I'm writing the final battle soon!


	51. Family (Percy LI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since we got some memories of the future. Looking forward to bring you some more.

Hestia was probably the only goddess Percy respected. Hera was nowhere in the rankings of his favorite deities, Aphrodite interfered too much in his and Annabeth’s lives, Demeter ranted about cereal, and Athena forced Annabeth into a life threatening quest for the Athena Parthenos. Hestia actually seemed to care about demigods. Okay, so Artemis wasn’t so bad when she wasn’t threatening to turn him into a jackalope, but Hestia was still his favorite.

“What is the reason you have invoked me so strongly?” Hestia asked, tilting her head.

Percy cleared his throat. “Uh, well, we trust you the most out of all the other Olympians. No offense,” he added quickly, looking at the sky.

Hestia smiled. “My dear brother is busy searching for Hera. She caused quite the upset with her exchange program. Your own father has not spoken to her in months.” She looked off to the side of Percy and frowned. “He is not supposed to be here.”

Percy looked over at what the goddess was looking at. Will. “Funny story. That’s kinda what we wanted to talk about.” He took a deep breath and started to talk about how they had woken up in the past months after winning the devastating Giant War.

Annabeth sometimes chimed in to add onto what Percy said, but for the most part, everyone was silent as Percy explained.

“...and last time Jason, Piper, and Annabeth went to Ithaca to meet the suitors, but we aren’t sure if we should,” Percy said. “Juno told them that Nike was warring with Victoria and that we had to subdue her. Plus, we were hoping to see Apollo and Artemis, but we don’t know if they’re in Delos now.” He looked at her hopefully. “We thought you might know.”

Hestia regarded them all carefully. “I believe you. However, I am not sure I can be of much help. The gods are split. Your friend Reyna has delivered the statue, but still the gods fight. Some like Hecate and myself do not change much from Greek to Roman. I am the home and the hearth in both forms.” She spread her arms. “Perhaps the split is caused by Nike and Victoria, I do not know. We gods have taken to spending time in our domains to ease the headaches. There is a good chance Apollo and Artemis are in Delos. Apollo is still afraid of his father’s wrath. If you truly wish to know this prophecy and the warning Hecate was given, you should stop there, but be warned,” the fire in her eyes burned brighter, “not all is as it seems. Cassidy told you Hecate’s prophecy would not come true for a few decades.” Hestia looked to Leo. “I gave Percy Jackson the same message I now give to you, Leo Valdez. When all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian. You must remember me when you face your final decision.” She stepped up to the fire Leo had created. The flames burned brighter, and then died out. When they did, Hestia was gone.

Percy looked at Leo who had gone pale. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Leo managed. “Little shaken, but the McShizzle can roll with the punches.” He laughed it off, but to Percy, the laughter sounded forced.

.

_ The days following the end of the war were a haze of disbelief and mourning. Will Solace, the lone survivor of the Apollo cabin, ran around tending to the injured despite his sleep deprived state. Nico di Angelo would occasionally hover behind his new boyfriend, but more often than not, he would visit the near-dead, and speak to them. Reassure them. _

_ Percy himself was helping out with the healing. It was nowhere near as effective as Apollo or his kids’ healing powers, but if he concentrated hard enough, he could force water to partially heal others. It took a lot out of him though. _

_ Annabeth was working on constructing temporary living spaces on Olympus for the few survivors the search teams found. Of course there was plenty of room given all the deaths they had been through, but no one was quite ready to let go. _

_ After the initial injuries were taken care of, Nico finally agreed to help his father expand the Underworld to accommodate the influx of dead people. He managed to get Percy, Annabeth, and Will to help. It was nice to be doing something and keeping his mind off the inevitable sorrow. After a month, the work was done, and they were back on Olympus, surrounded by memories. _

_ “You know I always thought about the day mortals would find out the myths are real,” a voice said from behind Percy. _

_ Percy jumped. “Dad.” He had been leaning on the porch of the house the demigods had been using. _

_ Poseidon looked the same as ever. Hawaiian t-shirt, Birkenstocks, and khaki Bermuda shorts. Still, there was a dullness to his eyes from the war. He joined Percy at the porch railing. _

_ “We never would have allowed mortals to step foot on Olympus, of course,” Poseidon continued. “So much has changed, and none of it like I imagined. Too much death.” _

_ “How do you deal with it?” _

_ Poseidon frowned. “What do you mean?” _

_ “Death,” Percy said, gesturing around. “You’re immortal. How do you deal with death? You’ve seen your kids die, and you’ve seen lovers die too. I… I guess they get old sometimes, and maybe it’s something you expect, but…” _

_ Poseidon was silent, and for a moment, Percy was worried he had offended his father. Then, “I guess it would be like anyone else. I won’t pretend I’ve mourned all my children over the centuries. But when I did, well, I don’t think you need much of an explanation of what happens when I let my emotions get the better of me.” _

_ No. He didn’t. Hurricanes. Tsunamis. Earthquakes. _

_ “Why us? Why our generation?” Percy wondered. “Why did it have to be us who fought the Titans? Why did it have to be us who fought the Giants and Gaea? What made us so special that we had to fight all the major baddies within a few years?” He slammed his fist down on the railing. “It’s not fair. All my friends are dead. My mom and Paul are probably dead.” _

_ “Not everyone,” Poseidon corrected. “I don’t look down on your losses, Percy. You’ve suffered more than the average demigod. Perhaps that is my fault. I broke the oath, and you paid the price for that.” _

_ Percy looked down. “I had my life planned out, you know. After the war was over, I wanted to take Annabeth to New Rome and see about college. And if she liked it, then we would live there. I thought that after Kronos and the whole ‘reach sixteen against all odds’ thing, then surviving Tartarus and making it through this war alive, I thought maybe the Fates would decide to give me peace.” He smiled ruefully. “You know, maybe we could have organized monthly reunions with the Seven. Plus Nico and Reyna,” he added. “And I guess Will and Calypso too. Get together and have fun. No worrying about quests or prophecies.” He cast a look over his shoulder towards the house. _

_ “How is Piper?” Poseidon asked. _

_ Percy shrugged. “She’s still the same. Calypso’s been forcing her to go about her day, but… Jason… I don’t think any of us thought he’d be gone by the end of this. I still don’t believe it.” _

_ Piper had fought fiercely throughout the war. It had been concerning really. She didn’t seem to have much care for her own safety. But once the war was done, and the drive for vengeance had gone, Piper retreated into a shell. She didn't speak much anymore, and that spark Percy always admired had gone out.  _ _ Calypso had attached herself to Piper. Whether it was to give herself something to do to cope with Leo’s death or not, Percy and Annabeth were grateful to have her around for Piper. _

_. _

_ “I’ve been thinking about Camp,” Annabeth said. _

_ Percy glanced over at her. “What about it?” _

_ “For one, I’d like to design a memorial site where it used to be,” she explained. “But, I want to build a new camp. We can’t stay on Olympus forever. Neither can the mortals. One day, they are going to go back to living on the Earth, and they’re going to need trained heroes around to fight the monsters.” She looked at Nico and Will. “The four of us made a pretty good team in the Underworld building houses and designing.” _

_ “She’s right,” Will agreed. “We can’t stay up here forever. We need a new camp.” _

_ “For Romans and Greeks together,” Nico added. “Our history is bloody. We need to fix it.” _

_ “What do we call it?” Percy wondered. “Camp Half-Jupiter? Camp Jupiter-Blood?” _

_ Nico wrinkled his nose. “Ew. Those names sound like really bad alcoholic drinks.” _

_ “Camp Olympus,” Will suggested. “That’s fair. That’s both Greek and Roman.” _

_ “Camp Olympus,” Percy repeated. “Okay. Camp Olympus. Established January 2011 by Annabeth Chase.” _

_ “Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo, and Will Solace,” Annabeth corrected. “I can’t take all the credit. I don’t know the first thing about running an infirmary or training pegasi or even funeral rights. Plus, I never went to Camp Jupiter. I’ll need two semi-Roman demigods to help me out with all the Roman traditions.” She gave Percy and Nico a small smile. “Hoping the Ambassador to Pluto and the Praetor for a day would help me with that.” _

_ Percy beamed. “Absolutely, Wise Girl.” _

_. _

_ “Percy?” Nico asked quietly. _

_ “Yeah?” _

_ Currently, they were taking a break from the construction of the new camp. Two months after the war had ended and Camp Olympus was coming along smoothly. _

_ “Did you ever picture yourself like this?” _

_ Percy snorted. “I barely imagined living beyond my sixteenth birthday, Nico. Everything after that was kinda like a dream. I mean, yeah, I thought Annabeth and I could have a future in New Rome, but in my mind, no matter what happened to me, we always won the war.” He winced. “Oh, sorry.” _

_ “For what?” _

_ “I didn’t mean to make you… never mind. I forgot.” _

_ Nico groaned. “Percy, I hate you.” _

_ “I’m not-” _

_ “Say it and die.” _

_ “-your-” _

_ “I mean it, Jackson!” _

_ “-type!” Percy finished with a grin. _

_ Nico grumbled. “Will you ever let it go?” he complained. “If I knew telling you would result in this, I would have just kept my mouth shut.” _

_ “I’m just messing with you,” Percy assured him. “I think it’s great. You and Will. It’s cute.” _

_ “I’m not cute.” _

_ “You’re adorable,” Will said, coming up behind Nico and wrapping his arms around him. _

_ Nico flushed. “I’m the Ghost King. I’m scary, not cute or adorable.” _

_ “Both of you stop flirting with Nico and get back to work!” Annabeth shouted. _

_ Percy sputtered. “I’m not flirting with Nico! He… he… he’s not my type!” Percy said triumphantly. _

_ “Was that supposed to hurt  _ my _ feelings?” Nico asked dryly. _

_ Percy nodded. “How do you like it, di Angelo? Taste of your own medicine.” _

_ “Oh I’m drowning in my sorrow,” Nico said flatly. “I’ll have to work through the pain though. How will I manage?” _

_. _

_ “To the most amazing architect,” Percy said, raising a glass of blue cherry coke. “Annabeth.” _

_ “Annabeth!” Nico and Will cheered. _

_ Annabeth smiled. “To a successful finish to the construction of Camp Olympus.” _

_ “Camp Olympus!” Percy, Will, and Nico exclaimed. _

_ “To making new memories,” Will added. _

_ Percy and Annabeth nodded. “New memories.” _

_ “To family,” Nico said quietly. _

_ “To family,” Annabeth, Percy, and Will repeated. _

_ They celebrated the grand opening of Camp Olympus. _

_ The camp was similar to Camp Half-Blood in most respects. They had opted to stick with cabins based on godly parents rather than have five cohorts. And there was a nice fire burning at the front of the dining pavilion for sacrifices to the gods. _

_ “Food sacrifices!” Percy shouted at Nico. “Food! Not human.” _

_ “You just said it was for sacrifices to the gods!” Nico protested. “That sounds like you’re going to sacrifice an actual person. Besides, I’m not the one who insisted on a large, grand stand that’s definitely big enough for a person.” _

_ That had been Will. He had wanted a symbol of the Giant War and all the brave heroes and gods who had died. Hecate and her torches were carved into the base along with Apollo in his sun chariot. A group of children with bows drawn were also featured. And at the very top, Will had requested the faces of the Seven be carved. As the unofficial leader of the quest, Annabeth’s face was in the middle. To her right was Percy, Frank, and Hazel. To her left was Jason, Piper, and Leo. _

_ “This is going to be good,” Annabeth said. She, Percy, Nico, and Will stood on the balcony of the Big House Principia. _

_ The cabins weren’t exactly as Percy remembered them, but that was okay. _

_ Zeus/Jupiter still had his grand cabin, but they had strived to style it to the likes of Thalia and Jason. Both had complained of it’s coldness, so that had been something to fix. Annabeth had enlisted some of the Hephaestus and Vulcan kids to create machines that buzzed with electricity. It gave the cabin a pretty cool effect, and it seemed less like a temple and more like a cabin someone could live in. _

_ Annabeth had refused to touch the Hera/Juno cabin with a ten foot pole, so it had fallen to Nico and Will to design that one. Nico suggested to just make it pretty much the same as the old one since the goddess wouldn’t be having kids, so it was honorary anyway. _

_ The Poseidon/Neptune cabin was just the way Percy liked it. It smelled of sea, and seashell wind chimes clattered softly. He put in a new saltwater fountain complete with a few drachmas. The cabin looked like a typical beach house with white wood paneling on the lower half of the walls and a light blue-green color on the top half. The bedspreads, of course, were blue. _

_ Athena/Minerva, being designed by Annabeth, was probably the best looking out of all of the cabins. The books in the original cabin could not be recovered, but Annabeth made do and started a small library near the back. She also had beanbags for the campers to sit and read in. Unlike before, the bunks were not crammed against a wall, but rather spaced out. Percy supposed it helped that the cabin was a lot bigger than the first one. _

_ Apollo received an honorary cabin as well. Will was insistent that his dad have a cabin even if no one was ever going to stay in it for a long time. He clung to the hope that if Titans and Giants just went to Tartarus until they could crawl out, what was to stop the same thing from happening for gods. Percy didn’t have the heart to tell Will that even if it was possible, the monsters probably took turns spearing Apollo’s little reforming pocket. But maybe Bob or Damasen were looking out for the god. _

_ Nico made the Hades/Pluto cabin black again. When Will had pointed out that not all Hades kids would like black, Nico replied that he liked black and since he was the only Hades kid, it didn’t really matter what anyone else liked. No one brought up the issue after that. He did end up decorating the interior and exterior with various jewels in memory of Hazel. _

_ All in all, Percy was kinda proud of what they had built. It had taken almost four months, but things were beginning to look up. Even if he thought it was kind of crazy to be putting him in charge of a whole camp. Well, not completely in charge since he, Annabeth, Nico, and Will would be sharing leadership. Annabeth was a good choice to be in charge, she could run the camp. Will was also good with his healing abilities and all that. Nico was probably a questionable choice, but still reasonable. Percy on the other hand, definitely felt like the other three were out of their minds. _

_ “This is going to be really good,” Annabeth nodded. _

_ Percy hugged her close. “Of course it will.” He looked around at his three friends. “I wanted to say that I think you guys are crazy putting me in charge of a camp, but I have had the best time planning this out with you guys.” _

_ “Me too,” Will said. “Well, I mean, I had a good time planning this. Not the whole you guys are crazy thing.” He grasped Nico’s hand. “It was rough in the beginning, but things are really looking up. It’s crazy, you know. One year ago we were at Camp Half-Blood helping Leo build the Argo II.” _

_ “I can’t believe it’s almost been a year and a half since everything startled happening,” Nico admitted. _

_ They stood in silence watching the sun set over Camp Olympus. _

_ “I’m going to double check on the supplies before people start getting here tomorrow,” Will said. He left the balcony, and moments later they could see him walking across the grounds to the infirmary. _

_ His vision blurred. The newly built Camp Olympus swirled around him, fading in and out of view. And a voice whispering in the darkness. _

_ Return… darkness and despair… Sea and the Wise… fresh air… beware and protect… For deception and trickery… whole… Sweet flower… truth… servants… darkest hour… fail… come home… hand… New era… wrought… _

.

Percy jolted awake. He frowned, trying to remember his dream.

“You okay?” Annabeth murmured.

“Fine,” Percy said uncertainly. He rubbed his head. “I really want to get to Delos though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reading this chapter, I wanted to point out some things. It was not my intention to make Piper out to be just another weak, boy-centered daughter of Aphrodite. Thinking about it realistically, Piper lost one of her best friends (Leo), then she lost her boyfriend (Jason), then Leo came back to life, and then Leo died for real. Not to mention, her father is probably dead too. While she might not have been as close to Frank and Hazel as some of the others, she also lost them too. Percy and Annabeth have each other to lean on, Nico typically pushes away his emotions and buries then rather than deal with them but he also had Will now as well and Will has him. As unfortunate as it is to say it, Calypso has had her heart broken by many people over the centuries. She feels the loss of Leo, but is trying to keep going on with her life and is putting some effort into taking care of Piper and trying to be there for her.  
> So my intention was never to demean Piper who is an amazingly powerful demigod and a strong independent woman, but her world has been flipped upside down relatively quickly and she does not have her two closest friends (Jason and Leo) for any kind of support. Now that she is no longer fighting for her life and fighting for revenge if you will, she feels lost and confused.  
> Anyway, that was my little, please don't kill me for turning Piper's life into "New Moon".


	52. Little Slice of Victory (Leo LII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Percy and Annabeth’s letter had shaken him, sure. Who wouldn’t be shaken after being told the exact details of how he had to die or else the world as we know it will end? But Hestia’s last words to him? Leo would be lying if he said he wasn’t utterly terrified of what awaited him.

Plus, he couldn’t help but feel like the seventh wheel.

Wait. No. He wasn’t the seventh wheel. He was the  _ ninth _ wheel. Because Nico di Angelo and Will Solace were quest crashers. And even they were more or less accepted immediately. Percy and Annabeth were time travelers like Nico, and they were clearly friends with Will in that future because they treated him like a long lost friend. Even Jason was close to Nico and Nico to Jason. Granted, they had been to Split together with the whole Cupid thing. In Nico’s case, it had happened twice.

So he was the ninth wheel.

No. Now he was the eight wheel. And that didn’t even make sense because the odd wheel out was the odd wheel out. There was no odd wheel out when there were eight wheels, yet here he was. The odd eighth wheel out.

Leo was currently working on his secret project. Well, his secret project that Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Nico di Angelo knew about.

“Leo! We need you,” Piper’s voice called.

Leo sighed. “Talk to the pants, Piper! Cause the hands are busy!” Unfortunately, his butt and legs were sticking out of his workspace inside the ship.

“We’re almost to Olympia. Meeting in the mess hall.”

“Yeah, fine. I’ll be there in a sec.”

“What are you doing, anyway? You’ve been poking around inside the hull for days.”

Leo swept his flashlight across the Celestial bronze plates and pistons he’d been installing slowly but surely. “Routine maintenance.”

Silence. Piper was a little too good at knowing when he was lying. “Leo –”

“Seriously, Beauty Queen. It’s all good. I’m coming out.”

He wasn’t done, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be done, but he was making progress. He didn’t understand it, but he had unconsciously laid the groundwork for this project when he first built the Argo II. Annabeth had probably made a few adjustments too.

_ Nothing lasts forever, _ his dad once told him.  _ Not even the best machines. _

Yeah, okay, maybe that was true. But Hephaestus had also said,  _ Everything can be reused _ . That theory was what this whole plan was hinging on. He couldn’t afford to fail.

He wriggled out of the crawl space.

The sight of Piper these days only seemed to serve as a reminder that her mom was the love goddess, and he, Leo, had fallen in love with Calypso. So on top of his secret project, he also had to worry about getting that stupid astrolabe to work with the crystal from Ogygia.

When he and Piper got to the mess hall, the other seven demigods were eating breakfast. Leo stood in the doorway of the mess hall, taking in the scene around the dining table. It wasn’t often he got to see all his friends together. Percy was eating a huge stack of blue pancakes (what was his deal with blue food?) while Annabeth chided him for pouring on too much syrup.

“You’re drowning them!” she complained.

“Hey, I’m a Poseidon kid,” he said. “I can’t drown. And neither can my pancakes. And give me a break, Wise Girl. Pancakes might not always be around. I’m enjoying these while I still can.”

Well Percy really knew how to kill a mood.

To their left, Frank and Hazel used their cereal bowls to flatten out a map of Greece. They looked over it, their heads close together. Every once in a while Frank’s hand would cover Hazel’s, just sweet and natural like they were an old married couple, and Hazel didn’t even look flustered, which was real progress for a girl from the 1940s. Until recently, if somebody said gosh darn, she would nearly faint.

Piper had immediately sat next to Jason who was, according to Percy, thankfully not dying as they all sailed to their deaths. Again, great mood killer.

Will was kinda moping around. He had been ever since he woke up to the news that Nico was unconscious at Camp.

_ You will not find a place among your brethren. You will always be the seventh wheel. _

Well, Nemesis was way off. Third wheeling on the quest with Jason and Piper? Leo could handle that. Seventh wheeling on this quest like he was supposed to? Leo liked to think he might have been able to handle that. Ninth wheeling on this quest now? Leo was not handling that at all. Don’t even mention eighth wheeling…

“What’s up, guys?” He strolled into the mess hall. “Aw, yes to brownies!”

He grabbed the last one – from a special sea-salt recipe they’d picked up from Aphros the fish centaur at the bottom of the Atlantic.

“So…” Jason said as he leaned forward. “We’re going to stay airborne and drop anchor as close as we can to Olympia. It’s further inland than I’d like – about five miles – but we don’t have much choice. We have to find the goddess of victory and, um… subdue her.”

“How do we subdue victory?” Piper wondered.

“Oh, Leo trapped her in a net last time,” Percy said offhandedly.

Leo sputtered. “And you didn’t think  _ that _ would have been helpful to know before hand?”

Percy shrugged. “Eh. I mean, you managed last time.”

“I hate time travelers,” Leo mumbled. “So what do we do? Same thing we did before? Uh, what was that exactly?”

“Landing party of four,” Annabeth answered. “Two Greeks, two Romans. Percy, Leo, Hazel, and Frank. Maybe we should change it, I’m not sure. We just have to be careful about who goes. Piper can’t go. Daughter of Aphrodite, she’s a threat to Nike. Obviously Jason and Percy can’t go together. Jupiter and Poseidon are a bad combination.”

“Ugh, we don’t want another Kansas,” Percy grumbled. “I might kill my bro Jason.”

“Or I might kill my bro Percy,” Jason said. He frowned. “What’s Kansas?”

“Anyway,” Annabeth interrupted with a glare. “Frank and I can’t go together because that would be Mars and Athena. Another bad combination. Will could probably go with anyone. Apollo doesn’t have rivalries with anyone except Artemis.”

“Will and I would be a bad combo,” Percy said. “Will and I  _ cannot _ go together.”

Will gave Percy a weird look. “I don’t have any problems with you, Percy.”

Annabeth nodded, ignoring Will. “Yeah, that could be bad potentially. Nevermind. Let’s do what we did last time. It worked out well enough.”

Leo clasped his hands. “Okay. Well, it’s July 22 already, so ten more days until Gaea wakes. Let’s get this show on the road. Gotta catch a goddess. Should be impossible, so let’s do it!” Leo started to grin. He couldn’t help it. Sure, they only had ten days to stop the giants from waking Gaia. Sure, he could die before dinnertime. But he loved being told that something was impossible. It was like someone handing him a lemon meringue pie and telling him not to throw it. He just couldn’t resist the challenge.

“We’ll see about that.” He rose to his feet. “Let me get my collection of grenades and I’ll meet you guys on deck!”

.

Nike’s words chilled Leo as much as the note and Hestia’s words.

_ One of you here - one of you four - is fated to die battling Gaea! _

Granted, pretty much everyone knew it was probably Leo. But Leo didn’t like it being confirmed by two goddesses.

_ One of you will die! One of you must die! _

How had he done it the first time? He must have known his fate by now even if Percy, Annabeth, and Hestia hadn’t told him.

Poison of Pylos, the chained god’s heartbeat in Sparta, and the curse of Delos. The Physician’s cure.

“So…” Hazel sounded a little nervous. “We have one tied-up goddess. Now what?”

Frank folded his arms. “We go looking for this physician’s cure… whatever that is. Because, personally, I like cheating death.”

Leo grinned. “Poison in Pylos? A chained god’s heartbeat in Sparta? A curse in Delos? Oh, yeah. This is gonna be fun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to change up the groups a little, but then I thought about it and realized that given Percy's whole "what do you mean I'm not your type" thing, sending Will with him wouldn't be a great idea and then I was just like "yeah let's just leave the same group".


	53. I Know (Nico LIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Dreams and death were old friends of his. Nico knew how to navigate their dark borderland usually. Unfortunately, this seemed to be one of the cases where he was unable to navigate. He rushed past the old fragments of painful memories – his mother smiling down at him, her face illuminated by the sunlight rippling off the Venetian Grand Canal; his sister Bianca laughing as she pulled him across the Mall in Washington, D.C., her green floppy hat shading her eyes and the splash of freckles across her nose. He saw Percy Jackson on a snowy cliff outside Westover Hall, shielding Nico and Bianca from the manticore as Nico clutched a Mythomagic figurine and whispered,  _ I’m scared _ . He saw Minos, his old ghostly mentor, leading him through the Labyrinth. Minos’s smile was cold and cruel.  _ Don’t worry, son of Hades. You will have your revenge _ . He saw Percy’s betrayed face in Hades’ palace, and felt the sting of lost trust.  _ You don’t trust me _ . He saw the hordes of monsters in Manhattan as he led the undead he raised into battle. He saw the edge of the pit.  _ I’m the son of Hades. The Underworld is my domain. Where can I  _ not _ go _ ? He was back in the bronze jar, and air was running out. Percy saved him. Percy fell with Annabeth. The Giant war.

Nico couldn’t stop the memories. They cluttered his dreams like the ghosts of Asphodel – an aimless, sorrowful mob pleading for attention.  _ Save me _ , they seemed to whisper.  _ Remember me. Help me. Comfort me _ .

He didn’t dare stop to dwell on them. They would only crush him with wants and regrets. The best he could do was to stay focused and push through. The ground dissolved at his feet and he fell into a familiar backwater – the Hypnos cabin at Camp Half-Blood.

“Clovis!” Nico called.

Clovis’s eyes fluttered open. He turned and stared at Nico, though Nico knew this was simply part of Clovis’s own dreamscape. The actual Clovis would still be snoring in his armchair back at camp.

“Oh, hi…” Clovis yawned wide enough to swallow a minor god. “Sorry. Did I pull you off course again?” He yawned again, then did a double take. “Nico? Woah! Dude, you’re like passed out in the infirmary right now. What’s going on in your head?”

“Not important,” Nico said, waving him off. “What’s going on at Camp right now, Clovis?”

Clovis fumbled with a cup of hot chocolate. “Uh, right. I’ll show you the council or war today. I slept through some of it, but –”

“Show me,” Nico said, praying it was not too bad.

The scene changed. Nico found himself in the rec room of the Big House, all the senior camp leaders gathered around the ping-pong table. Reyna and Octavian were gathered with them. At one end sat Chiron the centaur, his equine posterior collapsed into his magic wheelchair so he looked like a regular human. His curly brown hair and beard had more grey streaks than a few months ago. Deep lines etched his face.

“– things we can’t control,” he was saying. “Now let’s review our defences. Where do we stand?”

Clarisse from the Ares cabin sat forward. She was the only one in full armour, which was typical. Clarisse probably slept in her combat gear. As she spoke, she gestured with her dagger, which made the other counsellors lean away from her.

“Our defensive line is mostly solid,” she said. “The campers are as ready to fight as they’ll ever be. We control the beach. Our triremes are unchallenged on Long Island Sound, and the Roman eagles dominate the airspace. Gaea’s army isn’t getting anywhere past our borders.” She frowned at Rachel Dare. “It would be nice to know if someone foresaw any of there tactics though. You know, if our Oracle didn’t break down right before the biggest battle of the century!”

Rachel’s face turned as red as her hair. “That’s hardly my fault. Something is wrong with Apollo’s gifts of prophecy. If I knew how to fix it –”

“Well,  _ my _ gift still remains,” Octavian said snootily.

“No, it doesn’t,” Kayla snapped. “Everyone in the Apollo cabin has been affected. Dad hasn’t been answering any prayers or appeared in dreams. Something’s wrong with Delphi. It might just be the gods are still divided between Greek and Roman, but… well, we aren’t sure.”

“What about Ella?” Reyna voiced. “The harpy Percy, Frank, and Hazel found. She memorized the Sibylline Books, correct? Could she have any advice for us?”

Rachel bit his lip. “Well, not exactly.” Rachel looked at Kayla for help. "What she _has_ said... well, it won't take place until _after_ the Prophecy of Seven has come to pass."

“It’s incomplete,” Kayla said quickly. “We need the whole prophecy to interpret it properly.” She looked at Reyna. “When you left the Seven, they were heading for Athens. They plan to be there on August 1st for Gaea’s rising. We have to be prepared to not have Percy’s control over water, Jason’s control over lightning, Nico’s army of the dead, or Will’s healing powers.”

Nico’s heart dropped. How many lives had Will saved before the battle went sour? Should he have had Will join him, Reyna, and Coach Hedge on their trek across the world? Then he locked onto what Kayla said about him. Was he not supposed to wake up until  _ after _ the fight?

“They’ll be back,” Rachel said confidently. “And Nico will be awake. Gaea plans to attack Camp, right? The prophecy says the world is going to fall to storm or fire. Obviously, that means Jason or Leo. They have to be here to fight Gaea.”

The scene shifted so suddenly, Nico thought he might have gotten whiplash. He looked around cautiously. He was in the church in Portugal. The one the burning ghost let him to.

“Hello, Nico.”

Nico turned. “Father,” he said flatly.

The god’s expression was calm and content, as if he’d just come home from a lovely evening strolling through the Fields of Punishment, enjoying the screams of the damned.

“What have I done to warrant your attention?” Nico sighed. “What do you want?”

“For one, you shadow traveled the Athena Parthenos halfway across the world,” Hades pointed out with an amused look. “Then proceeded to knock yourself unconscious on said statue.”

“I wasn’t trying to do that,” Nico hissed, face flushed. “Whatever. Can you get me out of here? I have to get back to the Argo II.”

“For two,” Hades continued, “your friends spoke to my sister about your, ah,  _ situation _ .”

Nico’s blood chilled. “What?”

“The time travel thing,” Hades said lightly. “Your friends contacted Hestia for advice on what to do next.”

“How do you know about that?” Nico whispered.

“I imagine Poseidon and Athena are both aware of the circumstances surrounding their children as well,” Hades said, narrowing his eyes. “However, you’ll be delighted to know that not all the gods know. Rather, only the ones this  _ time traveling _ has affected.”

“Like Cupid,” Nico said bitterly. “His domain is love, so of course he would know.”

Hades winced ever so slightly. “Indeed. I had hoped to reach you, but the Hypnos child pulled you away.” He looked slightly troubled. “Orion is on the move. I do not know where he is headed, but he is hunting for sure. None of us gods have been able to detect his presence near either Camp or near the Argo II.” He hesitated. “Your sister… Hazel, I mean, has discovered one of the Seven will die. Ultimately it is up to yourself, Jackson, or Chase to tell them everything, but she may try to prevent it.”

“She might try harder if we tell her,” Nico pointed out. “She took it a lot worse this time when Percy and Annabeth fell.”

If Nico’s casual mentions of the future phased the god, Hades didn’t bat an eye. He looked slightly paler though.

“They fell before? How much have you changed?”

Nico shrugged. “This and that. The only thing that really matters is the final battle with Gaea. Annabeth has it mapped out. Slightly disturbing to know that she did that, but…”

Having Annabeth detail out the exact manner of Leo Valdez’s death was not something Nico ever thought he’d have to sit through.

“You know who must die.”

“I do.”

“You will not tell me.”

“No.”

“Nor your friends?”

“No. Well, they know he’s going to die, but not the specifics.” Nico looked at his dad. “Some deaths should not be prevented. You told me that.”

Father and son stood next to each other in silence.

“My son.” Hades’s tone was almost gentle. “Whatever happens, you have earned my respect. You brought honour to our house when we stood together against Kronos in Manhattan. You risked my wrath to help the Jackson boy – guiding him to the River Styx, freeing him from my prison, pleading with me to raise the armies of Erebos to assist him. Never before have I been so harassed by one of my sons. Percy this and Percy that. I nearly blasted you to cinders.”

Nico’s face burned. “Yeah, well, that was then. And I don’t… he’s not…” he trailed off.

Hades allowed himself the faintest smile, but there was nothing cruel in his eyes. “My children are so rarely happy. I … I would like to see you be an exception. I am sure I told you this. Before.”

“You did,” Nico nodded. “And I was. I am. Maybe not overly happy about this situation, but I  _ was _ happy in the future, and I think I’ll be happy again.”

“Apollo’s son,” Hades said distastefully. “I suppose it could be worse. That shadow traveling you did together was quite impressive.”

Nico stared at his father. He didn’t know what to do with that. He could accept many unreal things – hordes of ghosts, magical labyrinths, travel through shadows, chapels made of bones. But a compliment from the Lord of the Underworld? No. That made no sense.

Hades placed his hands briefly on Nico’s shoulders.

Nico didn’t like to be touched. That had changed slightly in the future. He let Will hold his hand or hug him freely. Still, having others touch him without permission or warning made him uncomfortable, but somehow this brief contact with his father felt reassuring. Like death, his father’s presence was cold and often callous, but it was real – brutally honest, inescapably dependable. Nico found a sort of freedom in knowing that eventually, no matter what happened, he would end up at the foot of his father’s throne.

“I will see you again,” Hades promised. “Certainly under better circumstances than last time, yes?”

“I hope so.”

Hades’s eyes glittered as his form began to fade. The god vanished.

Nico blinked and he was in the Hypnos Cabin again.

“Lost you for a second,” Clovis mumbled. “Hope you wake up soon.”

“Clovis?” Nico blurted. “Can you find someone for me? I need to get a message to the Seven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Hades/Nico bonding time.


	54. About Will (Percy LIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Percy looked around in confusion. “What is going on?”

“I had Clovis induce a dream.”

He whirled around to come face to face with Nico di Angelo. The son of Hades offered a sheepish wave.

“Dude! What the Hades was that stunt you pulled?” Percy shouted, rushing over to give Nico a big hug.

Nico tensed, but let Percy hug him. “First of all, I didn’t  _ want _ to get stuck at Camp. I’d rather be at the Acropolis with you guys.”

“Will’s been biting our heads off!” Percy complained. “He’s grumpy, Nico.  _ Grumpy _ . Will Solace is grumpy.”

Nico looked miserable. “Sorry, Percy. I really didn’t want this to happen. I… I’m still out of it. I guess I might not be waking up any time soon.” He sighed. “I’m not sure how long I have here. Clovis said to be quick. My father visited me. In a dream.”

Percy’s jaw dropped. “He what? What did he say?”

“Basically that he, Athena, and Poseidon know about our time traveling adventure,” Nico grumbled. “Apparently only the gods that it might affect their domains know,” Nico explained. “Hades, Athena, and Poseidon because they’re our parents. Cupid because… well, we aren’t the same as we were before we came back. We love for reasons that happened in the future. We've been through more than we have in this time.”

Percy chewed his lip. “I don’t know if I like our parents knowing. I mean, there’s not much they could take advantage of, but still. Annabeth’s been careful to make sure we make all the right choices. Every single choice we’ve made has been either one we made before or one she thought a lot about.”

“Well if they’ve known the whole time and haven’t done anything yet, I guess that’s a good sign,” Nico pointed out. “Anyway, from what Clovis has shown me, Camp Half-Blood is defended quite nicely. What about you guys? Where are you?”

Percy frowned. “Uh, I think Piper and Frank just left to talk to Frank’s relatives. So they should be getting the poison of Pylos.” He gave Nico a pointed look. “So about Will…”

“What about Will?” Nico snapped. “Yeah, I miss him? That what you want to hear?”

Percy grinned. “Nah. When you asking him out?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I almost prefer it when you were complaining about you not being my ‘type’ all the time,” he grumbled.

“But it was my dying wish! Ask Will out!”

“Are you dead?”

Percy frowned. “Shouldn’t you be able to tell? Ghost King and all that?”

“I swear, Percy, I’m going to kill you one of these days.”

“Oath to keep?”

Nico glared at him. “What do you want me to do, Percy? He… they all think I had a girlfriend in the future! Besides, to them, why wouldn’t I just go ask  _ her _ out since I know we end up together, right?” He threw his hands up in frustration. “I’m not good with people, Percy. You know that. And now I’m stuck in a coma or whatever on the other side of the world.” He looked upset. “I should be with you guys. Will can’t fight as well as the rest of you. I sent him to the Argo II. If he gets hurt or worse, then it’ll be  _ my _ fault! I hate this. I should have just had him tag along with me and shadow traveled him, Reyna, and Coach Hedge with the statue. It would suck and take forever, but at least he’d get back to Camp where it’s safer.”

“Don’t discount him,” Percy said, crossing his arms. “Will’s tough. I’ll teach him some sword fighting if it makes you feel better. Now. About the dating thing. You aren’t planning to just kiss him or something when we get back to Camp, right? Like, that worked out great last time, Nico, but this time Will has been your friend, your  _ best _ friend for a whole year and you’re the guy who came back in time from when you had been dating for months! You… you aren’t the same people. You said it yourself. Will thinks you had a girlfriend. You’re worried he won’t like you, but even if he does, he won’t show it because he’s too nice! He won’t get in between you and the girlfriend that doesn’t exist. You know I’m right,” Percy said smugly.

“I’ll IM him when I wake up,” Nico said hesitantly. “Okay? Just… if we win this… I’m still worried about what people will think.”

“You were okay with people knowing before,” Percy said in confusion. “What’s different now?”

“What’s different now is that there are 6.9 billion people alive and well,” Nico said. “Last time it didn’t matter what the few thousand people left alive thought because at that point, we all had bigger problems than worrying about who was dating who. And it didn’t matter because my only friends left were you, Annabeth, and Will. You all knew and didn’t care.” He crossed his arms. “You don’t understand, Percy. I grew up thinking  _ this _ ,” he waved his hands around, “was all wrong. If I hadn’t been dropped in the Lotus Casino and brought out in a different time, I would have been killed or forced to keep it a secret.”

“You’re still keeping it a secret,” Percy pointed out. “Look, you’re right. I don’t get it, but if you aren’t ready, I won’t push you or out you or anything. But I just want to see you happy again. You deserve to be happy, Nico. After everything… if Will makes you happy, you can’t push him away.”

Nico held up a hand. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Percy. I’ll tell Will before the final battle, okay?” he winced. “Or, maybe after? Like, in case he makes me stay in the infirmary. That… that would be awkward.”

“Have him spoon feed you ambrosia,” Percy advised. “Annabeth did that when I got to Camp. She also said I drool when I sleep which was not cool since I had just defeated the Minot-” his voice was muffled by Nico’s hand slapping over his mouth.

“Seriously?” Nico shouted. “Names. Power. Don’t say them!”

“I’m Percy freaking Jackson!” Percy exclaimed. “I can take anything that comes my way! And isn’t this a dream?” His voice sounded oddly distorted. “Nico? Nico?”

Nico gave him a sad look. “You’re waking up. Tell Will I said hi.”

.

Percy’s eyes flew open. He was laying down on the deck with Will Solace leaning over him.

Will sighed in relief. “Thank the gods. I couldn’t wake you up, and I didn’t know what was going on. You just collapsed.”

“Thanks a lot, Will,” Percy complained. “Nothing’s wrong with me. Clovis induced dream apparently. Nico says hi by the way,” he added.

“Nico talked to you?” Will asked, a tone of disappointment in his voice. “Is… is he okay?”

“He’s okay,” Percy nodded. “He said he doesn’t think he’s waking up any time soon though. He definitely won’t be at the Acropolis with us. That’s a blow, but we managed without him last time, and Bob and Damasen will be there too.”

“Uh, did we miss something?”

Percy rolled his head to look at Piper and Frank who had just stepped aboard the Argo II.

“Nico talked to Percy in a dream,” Annabeth said.

“So. You got the poison?” Leo asked cheerfully, changing the subject.

Frank still looked a little uncertain, but he held up a small metallic vial. “My cousins called it the Pylosian Mint, but yeah, we got the poison.”

“Is that going to be enough?” Leo asked lightly.

Percy could hear the tremor in his voice though. He hated that they were asking this of Leo. It wasn’t fair.

“It’ll be enough,” Annabeth said calmly. Her eyes were sad though. “Are… are you okay, Leo?”

Leo waved her off. “Fine. Really. It’s cool. I mean, I love doing the impossible. Coming back from the dead? Where do I sign?”

“Maybe we should make more,” Hazel said hesitantly. “One for each of us? I mean, what Nike said… she said one of us will die. I know she probably meant Leo, and I know you guys said he comes back, but what if it’s not Leo?”

“Nike said that  _ last time _ ,” Percy rolled his eyes. “And, uh,” he faltered. “Huh. Leo, Hazel, and Frank died. Nevermind. That was not what I meant. But look. It’s Leo. He’s got to take the cure again. It’ll be fine.” Percy wasn’t really sure if he really meant that or if he was just saying that to convince himself.

“Anyway,” Frank said, “according to my Pylos cousins, the chained god we’re looking for in Sparta is my dad… uh, I mean Ares, not Mars. Apparently the Spartans kept a statue of him chained up in their city so the spirit of war would never leave them.”

“Oo-kay,” Leo said. “The Spartans were freaks. Of course, we’ve got Victory tied up downstairs, so I guess we can’t talk.”

Jason leaned against the forward ballista. “On to Sparta, then. But how does a chained god’s heartbeat help us find a cure for dying?”

“Immortal heartbeat maybe?” Percy suggested. “I dunno. Don’t argue with the magic life bringing cure, bro. Let it work it’s magic and be grateful.”

“Uh, I don’t see anything right now, but I’ve been seeing this vision in my dagger,” Piper spoke up. “Annabeth and I are exploring some ruins –”

“Ruins!” Leo rubbed his hands. “Now we’re talking. How many ruins can there be in Greece?”

“Lucky you, Piper and I have already done this,” Annabeth snapped. “Continue, Piper.”

“Anyway… suddenly we’re in this dark place like a cave. We’re staring at this bronze warrior statue. In the vision I touch the statue’s face and flames start swirling around us. That’s all I saw.”

“Flames.” Frank scowled. “I don’t like that vision.”

Percy smiled. “Chained god,” he shrugged. “Gotta do this if we wanna save Leo.”

“Do we?” Frank muttered darkly.

Percy snickered while Leo’s jaw dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys realize how many things in outer space besides the planets are named after Greek and Roman mythology names? Because I did not. I was just chillin in my astro class and I'm like "huh. Charon, Nix, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Triton, Iapetus. Wait. Those are all Greek..."
> 
> Fun fact: Io, Europa, and Ganymede are all moons of Jupiter. The Greek peeps they're named after all all lovers of Zeus. (Well, I think that's true for Ganymede. Not quite clear on that one, but for Io and Europa it's true. Ganymede is Zeus' cupbearer for sure though.) (Haha, just looked at Wikipedia - super reliable, I know - and yeah, Ganymede is one of Zeus' lovers.)
> 
> Also, I almost shouted out "His name is Bob!" when my professor started talking about Iapetus. I did have a silent fit of laughter though, so my classmates might think I'm a little strange now.


	55. Scary Blofis (Will LV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable (little) sections from Blood of Olympus

“You are amazingly calm,” Jason said when Piper told them about her dream.

No one bothered telling him that Annabeth and Percy knew exactly what was going on, and Piper’s dream hardly surprised them.

“Well, last time I made the toilets explode,” Percy offered. “I was not calm. But I mean, now that I know my amazingly awesome girlfriend comes back in one piece, I’m good. I’m still worried, but Annabeth’s got this. Piper too,” he added quickly.

“We’ll be alright,” Annabeth told him. “Piper foresaw the two of us going down there, so that’s what needs to happen.”

“Who’s Mimas?” Jason asked. His eyes darted between Annabeth and Piper. “Like I mean, I trust you guys, but I’m worried about Piper. I don’t… we should all go or something.”

“First of all,” Annabeth said flatly, “no boys and girls going together. The giants want our blood to resurrect Gaea, so the last thing we need right now is Gaea waking earlier. Second, calm down. We. Will. Be. Fine.” She and Piper left the Argo II before anyone could argue anymore.

Will snorted at the gapping face Jason made.

“The giants in Piper’s dream,” Will said hesitantly. “Who are they? I probably should have gotten caught up on my Greek history, but…”  _ Nico disappeared _ , he wanted to add.

“Otis and Ephialtes,” Percy frowned. “You remember them from Rome. They trapped Nico in that jar.”

Will’s fist clenched. “I remember them,” he said through gritted teeth. “What about the others? Polybotes, Porphyrion, Hippolytus, Periboia, and Thoon?”

“Porphyrion is the bane of my father,” Jason explained. He looked mildly irritated. “The twins are the bane of Bacchus. Dionysus. Whatever.”

“Polybotes is the giant to oppose my dad,” Percy added. “Hate that guy. Looking forward to destroying him for the fifth time maybe.”

“Fifth time?” Piper asked, raised eyebrows.

Percy shrugged. “Three in the old timeline, once in this timeline and one more coming up I hope. Gaea kept resurrecting those suckers. Kinda annoying actually.”

“Hippolytus is the bane of Hermes,” Jason said, interrupting Percy. “Enceladus is the bane of Min- uh, Athena. Damasen is the bane of Mars, uh Ares.”

“But he’s more of a peaceful giant and he’s on our side,” Percy said pointedly. “Periboia is the bane of Aphrodite,” he continued. “Clytius is the bane of Hecate. Alcyoneus is the bane of Hades. Ugh, we’re lucky he won’t come back for the fight at the Acropolis. I hate him too. So hard to kill.”

“Mimas…” Jason trailed off. “I think I remember reading about him. Vulcan, right? So he’s the bane of… Hephaestus. Thoon, well, Piper said he’s the bane of the Fates.”

“Then there’s Orion,” Percy said with a frown. “He’s the bane of Apollo and Artemis. Last time, Nico said he hunted them across the world. He’s a wild card now I guess.”

Will’s heart sank. “You don’t think he’s going to Camp, do you?”

“Nico said Camp was well defended,” Percy said. He looked at Jason, Hazel, and Frank. “I’m guessing you Romans are like really good at fortifying. Impenetrable barriers around Camp sound right?”

Jason nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Since Reyna’s there, the Legion is in good hands. She’d definitely have put their best builders on the job. I mean, they make forts in a matter of days for war games, and those are challenging to break through. Can’t even begin to imagine how well protected Camp is.”

Will didn’t miss the word choice Jason used.  _ Their best builders, they make forts _ … Like Jason wasn’t Roman or from Camp Jupiter himself. And the way he forced himself to use the Greek names of the gods earlier…

Hazel let out a breath. “Good. So, I was wondering if maybe you might tell us the whole plan now? What do we do once we get to the Acropolis?”

Percy tensed up. “Gaea’s going to rise. It’s unavoidable. She needs the blood of a son of Olympus and the blood of a daughter of Olympus. Last time, Annabeth got cut and I got…” he scowled. “I got a bloody nose,” he mumbled.

“Your nosebleed kickstarted the apocalypse?” Leo shouted. “What the heck? You’re kidding, right?”

“No,” Percy grumbled. “I don’t like to talk about it, okay? It’s so embarrassing. Like, I was  _ winning _ , then my nose had to go and bleed.”

“How do we get to Camp Half-Blood in time for Gaea’s attack?” Frank asked worriedly. “It took us days to get to Rome, and if Gaea’s awake, I assume she’ll fight us every step of the way.”

Percy half-glanced at Leo so quickly Will would have missed it if he hadn’t been watching the son of Poseidon carefully. “The gods will take care of that. We’ll be back in New York before you can say ‘blue pancakes.’”

“What’s the deal with the blue food?” Leo blurted.

Percy’s face looked stormy. He crossed his arms. “My mom was married to this guy who said there was no such thing as blue food. She proved him wrong and went out of her way to have blue food. He’s not around anymore, but we still eat blue food.” His face brightened. “On the plus side, he made my mom a nice paycheck when she submitted a one of a kind sculpture to the museum. She called it ‘The Poker Player’ and modeled it after Smelly Gabe. Uh, my ex-stepfather.”

Will had a feeling there was a lot more to the story than Percy was saying. But he didn’t press.

Unfortunately, Leo had no such qualms pressing for more.

“What?” Leo asked. “He gave her sculpting lessons or something?”

“No,” Percy’s grin turned feral. “Grover, Annabeth, and I had just been on the quest to find Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way we ran into Medusa. I shipped her head to Olympus because I was a little cheeky back then.”

Will snorted. Percy  _ still _ had no respect for the gods. Well, he had some respect for them, but only enough to avoid getting smitted.

“Anyway, the gods returned her head to me. I gave it to my mom and told her what it was,” Percy shrugged. “Came back from Camp and found out my mom recently made a sculpture and gave it to the museum. Gabe was missing, but who cares?”

“Your mom is terrifying,” Frank said, wide eyed.

Percy grinned. “My mom is awesome.”

“Didn’t she pick up a shotgun and shoot monsters during the Battle of Manhattan?” Will asked.

Percy nodded. “Yeah. My stepdad, Paul, that is, he picked up a sword and fought too. He can’t even see through the Mist!” Percy was apparently very excited about his mortal family fighting monsters. “It was so cool. Like, my respect for him went up. He said he learned sword fighting when he did something with Shakespeare.” Then his face fell. “I hope you guys can meet them one day. I mean, you probably did meet them in the other time, but you would have met them in…” he trailed off. “Well, you probably met them. I hope you did.”

Will swallowed. Jason, Leo, Frank, and Hazel had died in Percy’s timeline. He hadn’t mentioned his mom or stepdad before. If they had met Percy’s parents, it would be in the Underworld. In Elysium.

“Um, you asked about the plan, right?” Percy said quickly, changing the subject. “So… so after we get to Camp, we fight the army and take out Gaea. Easy peasy.” But he looked at Leo again, almost mournfully.

Will didn’t bring up the topic of Leo’s death. But he had a funny feeling that this was going to be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I the only one who wouldn't mind seeing Sally and Paul take on some monsters?


	56. Fear (Piper LVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

It was probably the scariest moment of her life. Despite Annabeth’s obvious proof that they had lived through this, Piper was terrified facing down Mimas. Waves of terror crashed over her. Her joints turned to jelly. Her heart refused to beat. Her worst memories crowded her mind – her father tied up and beaten on Mount Diablo; Percy and Jason and her drowning in the nymphaeum in Rome; herself standing alone against Khione and the Boreads.

Surprisingly, Annabeth seemed to be taking this worse than Piper thought she would be. Having already lived through this, Annabeth should know exactly what to do. But the blonde haired daughter of Athena was shaking as she drew her drakon bone sword.

“Piper,” Annabeth whispered. “We… we have to do something.”

Suddenly, it seemed to make much more sense. This was a temple to Phobos and Deimos. The temple was amplifying their personal fears. While Piper had seen horrible things, it was nothing compared to what Annabeth went through in Tartarus. Twice.

“I’m here,” Piper promised, filling her voice with reassurance. “We will get out of this. Deep breaths, okay? Think. What did we do last time?” she whispered so the giant couldn’t hear her.

“Um,” Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay. We… we ran down a tunnel I think.” She pointed over Piper’s shoulder. “Somewhere over there.”

The giant swung his hammer, and Piper dragged Annabeth away. She leapt forward and slashed her sword across the back of Mimas’ knee. As the giant bellowed in outrage, Piper pulled Annabeth into the nearest tunnel, hoping this was right. Immediately they were engulfed in total darkness.

“Fools!” the giant roared somewhere behind them. “That is the wrong way!”

“Alright, talk to me,” Piper said as they ran through the dark. “What now?”

“You said you followed the fear,” Annabeth said, voice becoming more sure of herself. “The pathway where it was the strongest.”

“Excellent,” Piper muttered. “I hate my other self. Why did she have to set us up for something a stupid as running directly towards the fear?”

Annabeth snorted.

The giant’s voice came from somewhere in front of them. “Lost forever. Swallowed by the darkness.” The giant’s laughter echoed like a detonating depth charge. “I am Mimas, born to slay Hephaestus. I am the breaker of plans, the destroyer of the well-oiled machines. Nothing goes right in my presence. Maps are misread. Devices break. Data is lost. The finest minds turn to mush!”

“Oh gods, I’m terrified!” Piper suddenly shouted.

Annabeth’s hand tightened. “What?” she asked incredulously.

Piper wasn’t sure why she said it, but it seemed like what the giant would want to hear. Moments later, the air moved. Just in time, Piper pushed Annabeth to one side.

CRASH!

Suddenly they were back in the circular room, the dim light almost blinding now. The giant stood close by, trying to yank his hammer out of the floor where he’d embedded it. Piper lunged and drove her blade into the giant’s thigh.

“AROOO!” Mimas let go of the hammer and arched his back.

Piper and Annabeth scrambled behind the chained statue of Ares, which still pulsed with a metallic heartbeat: thump, thump, thump.

The giant Mimas turned towards them. The wound on his leg was already closing.

“You cannot defeat me,” he growled. “In the last war, it took two gods to bring me down. I was born to kill Hephaestus, and would have done so if Ares hadn’t ganged up on me as well! You should have stayed paralysed in your fear. Your death would’ve been quicker.”

Piper stood in front of the statue and crossed her arms. “This temple,” she said. “The Spartans didn’t chain Ares because they wanted his spirit to stay in their city.”

“You think not?” The giant’s eyes glittered with amusement. He wrapped his hands around his sledgehammer and pulled it from the floor.

“This is the temple of my brothers, Deimos and Phobos.” Piper’s voice shook, but she didn’t try to hide it. “The Spartans came here to prepare for battle, to face their fears. Ares was chained to remind them that war has consequences. His power – the spirits of battle, the makhai – should never be unleashed unless you understand how terrible they are, unless you’ve felt fear.”

Mimas laughed. “A child of the love goddess lectures me about war. What do you know about the makhai?”

Out of the corner of her eyes, Piper saw Annabeth leap up and cut the rope she had used to get down. The rope that was there for their escape. Hopefully Annabeth had a reason and she hadn’t gone crazy. Piper shrugged and ran at Mimas. She sliced with her sword and the giant let out a howl of pain.

“That hurt!” Mimas rubbed his head. “You realize you cannot kill me without the help of a god and Ares is not here! The next time I face that blustering idiot, I will smash him to bits. I wouldn’t have had to fight him in the first place if that cowardly fool Damasen had done his job –”

Uh oh. Piper saw the fire ignite in Annabeth’s eyes.

Annabeth let loose a guttural cry. “Do not insult Damasen!” She ran at Mimas, who barely managed to parry her drakon-blade with the handle of his hammer. He tried to grab Annabeth, and Piper lunged, slashing her blade across the side of the giant’s face.

“GAHHH!” Mimas staggered.

A severed pile of dreadlocks fell to the floor along with something else – a large fleshy thing lying in a pool of golden ichor.

“My ear!” Mimas wailed.

Piper and Annabeth ran through the second doorway.

“Accept the fear,” Annabeth murmured to herself. “Adapt to it. Accept the fear. Adapt to it.”

“Is that all?” Piper grumbled as they ran. “Why did you cut the rope?”

“You did it last time,” Annabeth answered. “You said that fear can’t be reasoned with. Neither can hate. We have to just… feel.”

“Bet you hated that.”

“I hate it so much.”

“Run out there together?”

“Yep.”

They ran in no particular direction and found themselves back in the shrine room, right behind the giant Mimas. They each slashed one of his legs and brought him to his knees. The giant howled. More chunks of stone tumbled from the ceiling.

“Weak mortals!” Mimas struggled to stand. “No plan of yours can defeat me!”

“Good,” Annabeth shouted. “We don’t have a plan.” She charged at the giant.

Piper stared at the cruel bronze face of the war god. The statue thrummed with a low metallic pulse.  _ The spirits of battle _ , she thought.  _ They’re inside, waiting to be freed _ .

But they weren’t hers to unleash – not until she’d proven herself. The chamber shook again. More cracks appeared in the walls. Piper glanced at the stone carvings above the doorways: the scowling twin faces of Fear and Panic.

“My brothers,” Piper said, “sons of Aphrodite… I give you a sacrifice.” She set down the cornucopia. “I’m terrified,” she confessed. “I hate doing this. But I accept that it’s necessary.” She swung her blade and took off the bronze statue’s head.

“No!” Mimas yelled.

Flames roared up from the statue’s severed neck. They swirled around Piper, filling the room with a firestorm of emotions: hatred, bloodlust and fear, but also love – because no one could face battle without caring for something: comrades, family, home. Piper held out her arms and the makhai made her the centre of their whirlwind.

_ We will answer your call _ , they whispered in her mind.  _ Once only, when you need us, destruction, waste, carnage shall answer. We shall complete your cure _ .

The flames vanished along with the cornucopia, and the chained statue of Ares crumbled into dust.

“Foolish girl!” Mimas charged her, Annabeth at his heels. “The makhai have abandoned you!”

“Or maybe they’ve abandoned you,” Piper said.

Mimas raised his hammer, but he’d forgotten about Annabeth. She jabbed him in the thigh and the giant staggered forward, off balance. Piper stepped in calmly and stabbed him in the gut. Mimas crashed face-first into the nearest doorway. He turned over just as the stone face of Panic cracked off the wall above him and toppled down for a one-ton kiss. The giant’s cry was cut short. His body went still. Then he disintegrated into a twenty-foot pile of ash.

“Huh,” Annabeth said staring at the spot the giant used to occupy. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the whole deja vu thing.”

“The makhai,” Piper said desperately. “They’re part of the cure, right? What do I do? They said I could summon them when the time comes, but I don’t know what that means.”

Annabeth looked sad. “It means they’ll come when we need the cure made. Don’t worry about it, Piper.”

A section of the wall calved like a glacier.

Annabeth stumbled and almost slipped on the giant’s severed ear. “We should get out of here though.”

“How?” Piper demanded.

Annabeth grinned. “Now that I can definitely help you with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super excited. I'm almost done writing this story. I've already got ideas forming for a sequel!
> 
> Although, my writing today was significantly slow. I think I wrote about one chapter or slightly less? I'm not sure. I was so bored today. Couldn't concentrate on anything. Watched Law and Order: SVU like all day. Anyone else watch that show?
> 
> Side tangent over... I'm really struggling with the Solangelo chapter. I think I've redone it two or three times now. It's just too cringy. Romance is not my forte.


	57. Waking Up (Nico LVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable quotes from Blood of Olympus

Nico missed Reyna. Even in his days long sleep, he couldn’t help but feel the loss of his friend.

They had really bonded in the days spent traveling with the Athena Parthenos, but now that the statue had been delivered in a matter of minutes…

There would be no free falls into volcanos or last minute shadow travel jumps away from Lycaon and his wolves or accidental shadow travels onto cruise ships. Reyna understood him, and that had been taken away by the time traveling incident.

Anyway, the best he could figure out from Clovis was that it was roughly five to seven days until August 1st. Which meant that he had to wake up now or else he would be lucky not to get swallowed up by the earth because he was a helpless invalid.

“Can’t you just wake me up, Clovis?” Nico finally shouted.

Clovis gave Nico a disapproving look. “First of all, no. Will might actually carry out his threats to injure me and make it look like a perfectly acceptable accident. Second, if I force you to wake up, your body and your mind and your soul would be irreplaceable damaged. Do you know how far you shadow traveled, Nico?”

Nico sighed. “Then tell me when you think I might be waking up.”

“Oh any minute now,” Clovis answered with a shrug. “Like, any minute now relative to the time flow outside dreams. For you, it might feel like hours.” He swung his feet back and forth from his perch on top of a desk. “You can’t spend all your time here, Nico. I can’t get any sleep,” he complained.

“Clovis, you  _ are _ sleeping,” Nico rolled his eyes. “Besides, if I stay here, I don’t get nightmares, okay? Not to mention, I get updates on how everything is falling to Hades!” he shouted. “I should be out there!”

“Calm down!” Clovis yelped. “They’ll sedate you and then you won’t wake up for another day at least!”

Nico paused. He didn’t want to be sedated again. He assumed that’s what happened during his dream with Bianca.

“The Hunters arrived the other day,” Clovis said, changing the subject. “And apparently the Amazons are at Camp Jupiter.”

“I don’t like the Hunters,” Nico said flatly. “Thalia I can tolerate, but the rest of them suck.”

Clovis sighed. “I want to wake you up now,” he mumbled.

“Please do.”

Nico blinked. The Hypnos cabin started to become fuzzy. His movements became more groggy.

“You’re waking up!” Clovis sighed in relief. “On your own though. It’s not me.”

_ “...waking up. Someone go get Kayla or one of the other Apollo kids. Come on, Death Breath. Wake up.” _

Nico’s eyes fluttered shut. Then he opened them to a blinding light.

.

“Look who’s finally awake,” an amused voice said.

Nico squinted. “What happened?” he slurred. “Where am I?”

“Camp Half-Blood,” the same voice answered. “You look awful.”

“He transported Reyna, Coach Hedge, and the Athena Parthenos from Greece all the way to Half-Blood Hill,” someone else said. “Plus, Will’s a lot better dealing with Nico’s ‘Underworld-y’ stuff.”

“Kayla?” Nico asked uncertainly. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light. He looked at the two girls next to the bed he was laying in.

Kayla gave Nico a small smile. “Hey, Nico. How’s Will?”

Nico jolted. “Oh gods! Kayla, I have to get back to them. How soon can I get out of here?”

“You just woke up, Nico,” the other girl said with a frown. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

“Thalia,” Nico said through gritted teeth. “Don’t. Tell me. What. To. Do.”

Kayla glanced between them uncertainly. “Uh, am I missing something?”

“Nico has issues with the Hunters,” Thalia said evenly. “But I was hoping he would push that aside for his favorite cousin.”

“Since when did you become Jason?” Nico fired back. “I like your brother better.”

The air around them became very static. Nico could hear the electricity crackling off Thalia.

Thalia glared at Nico. Then she inhaled and exhaled slowly. “At least Percy’s not your favorite.”

“Not my type,” Nico said before he could stop himself. He groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. “Oh gods, now he’s got me saying that. I’m going to kill Percy the next time I see him.”

Thalia raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. “How is Jason anyway?”

“He was good last I saw,” Nico shrugged. “Then again, that was days ago. I don’t know. Percy didn’t say anything when I talked to him.”

Kayla gave him a strange look. “Uh, what? How did you talk to Percy? He’s not-”

“No,” Nico scoffed. “Dreams. I was hanging out in the Hypnos Cabin. Clovis connected me to Percy.” He yawned. “Ugh, the statue’s okay, right?”

“Yep,” Kayla confirmed. “That was pretty cool, Nico. How did you and Will do that? Austin’s calling it Tangled Shadow Travel. Because of Will’s hair.”

“Of course he is,” Nico muttered.

Thalia cleared her throat. “I’ll go get Reyna. She’s been worried about you. And she wants to thank you for getting the statue here.” She left quickly.

Kayla waited all of three seconds before looking at Nico inquisitively. “Okay. Spill. In the months you spent here as Will’s friend hanging out with all us Apollo kids, I never once heard you didn’t like the Hunters. What’s the story behind that? Crush join them?” Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you liked Thalia?”

“I do not have a crush on Thalia,” Nico snapped. “And it’s nothing like  _ that _ . If you must know, my sister joined them about five seconds after we found out we were demigods and Zoe told her she would be free of responsibility. Then she died on the Hunters and Campers quest. So yeah. I don’t like the Hunters.”

Kayla looked down. “Sorry, Nico. I didn’t realize…” she trailed off. “Um, anyway, you’re not sick or anything, so if you want to go back to your cabin after Reyna drops in, you can.” She smiled awkwardly. “You know what Will would tell you. Eat plenty of food. Drink water. Get a good night's sleep. No ‘Underworld-y’ magic,” she quoted.

“Thanks, Kayla.”

“Woah, are you really thanking me?” Kayla asked, mock surprised. “Was that really a thank you from Nico di Angelo? I didn’t think you were nice to anyone but Will.”

“Actually I’m extra mean to him. Only because he doesn’t seem to be intimidated by my glare of death,” Nico shot back.

Kayla laughed. “I missed you, Nico. Will did too, of course,” she added. “Camp wasn’t the same without you two bantering.”

“Nico! You’re awake!”

Nico looked over to see Reyna standing in the doorway. She looked relieved.

“Hi, Reyna,” Nico said cautiously.

Reyna smiled. “I was worried the distance was too much. I should have let you shadow travel us slowly. I’m just thankful you’ve woken up.”

“Believe me,” Nico grumbled. “I think this was probably better. Even if I was asleep for days.” He swung his legs around so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’m going to IM them though. I hope Percy doesn’t mind me using his fountain.”

.

“Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the Seven on the Argo II,” Nico murmured, tossing a drachma into the fountain.  _ And please don’t smite me, Poseidon. I just want to contact your son and his friends. Privately. _

The rainbow shimmered and rippled.

“Is that Rachel?” someone’s voice asked.

Nico’s heart soared. “Do I look like the Oracle, tesoro?” he asked.

Will’s face appeared in the message. “Nico?” he shouted. “You’re awake? How long have you been up? Are you eating? Are you getting enough water?” Nico ignored the cackles he could only assume were Percy’s. “Are you sleeping well? I’m so sorry! I should have tried to hold on tighter.”

“Will!” Nico exclaimed, holding up a hand. “I’m okay. I just woke up maybe twenty minute ago, so calm down. Where are you guys? What’s going on with your quest?”

“We got the poison of Pylos and the chained god’s heartbeat,” Annabeth’s voice answered. “We’re on our way- DI IMMORTALES!” she yelled.

From what Nico could see through the splotchy Iris Message, the ship had been jostled to the side.

“Oh man, that’ll be Kym,” Percy cursed. “I’m going to go steady the ship. Jason, I need you, bro. Leo, try to get us airborne?” He rushed off with Jason and Leo.

Nico got a brief look at his sister’s green face before she ran off. Presumably to the bathroom to vomit. Piper and Annabeth dashed off after the three boys. Frank followed after a few seconds, leaving Will alone with Nico’s Iris Message.

Vaguely, Nico thought he heard a scream of: “YOU CAN DO BETTER, STORM! GIVE ME A HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT!”

Will winced. “Ugh. That’ll be Nike.”

“ARE YOU INSANE?”

“And that’s Piper,” Will grimaced. “I don’t know what Jason’s doing, but I don’t think she likes it.”

“He and Percy are jumping overboard to reason with Percy’s half-sister Kym,” Nico said nonchalantly.

Will sighed. “Of course they are.” He looked around nervously. “Uh, so is there anything you wanted?”

Nico shrugged. “Check up on you. Guys. Check up on you guys,” he stuttered. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it to the Acropolis for the big showdown. Will, there’s something I should tell you. I-”

“Arg!” Will shouted, pitching forward. His arms flailed wildly, swiping through the message. His image disappeared.

Nico let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Some other time, then,” he told himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear they'll get together! I'm not doing this to put you guys through the suffering that is OPTs not getting together.
> 
> Anyway... YAY! Nico's awake!


	58. Apollo Table Musings (Rachel LVIII)

“Nice to see you up and about,” Rachel commented as Nico di Angelo plopped down into the seat next to her at the Apollo table. “But, uh, what are you doing here?”

Nico merely glanced up at her, then returned his attention to the table.

“He misses Will,” Kayla teased, sitting across from Rachel.

Nico scowled. “I can leave if you want,” he snapped.

Rachel held up her hands defensively. “Hey now. I was just wondering. But I am curious about what happened after those giants showed up. We never got a straight answer out of you.”

Nico groaned and banged his head on the table. “I hate Percy. Stupid Kelp Head with his stupid comments.” He sat upright and exhaled. “The giants kidnapped me, took me to Rome, and put me in a bronze jar,” Nico said flatly. “I survived by going into a death trance. Only children of Hades can do that by eating some of Persephone’s pomegranate seeds. Percy, Jason, Piper, and Will rescued me. We all went to find Annabeth, and then Percy and her fell into Tartarus. The end.” He frowned at his plate.

Kayla sighed. “Will’s going to kill you if you don’t eat something healthy.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Cheeseburger from McDonalds,” he said pointedly. He munched on it and gave Kayla and Rachel a look as if to say:  _ Tell Will and you’re dead _ .

Austin came over to sit across from Nico. He didn’t say anything about the son of Hades sitting at the Apollo table, but he did raise an eyebrow at the cheeseburger. “Upgraded from Happy Meals?”

“No,” Nico answered. “It’s just degrading to say it outloud and have a red box with a smiley face appear in front of me.”

“Why do you like McDonalds so much?” Austin snorted. “I would have given up on it ages ago with all of Will’s complaining about how unhealthy it is.”

Nico was silent. He stopped chewing and stared at his burger.

Rachel gave Austin a look. She had a sneaking suspicion about Nico’s fondness for the fast food restaurant, but it wasn’t her place to say.

“I just like it,” Nico said quietly. He resumed his eating, but at a much slower pace.

“Um, how was it?” Austin asked awkwardly. “Being out there. On a quest and everything. I’ve never been outside Camp for anything other than going home to see my mom, but…”

Nico shrugged. “Not missing much. Ran into some dwarves that steal stuff. Katobleps in Venice was a great time if you like getting poisoned. Oh, we ran into Percy’s half-brother Sciron. Nasty guy. I suppose Cupid wasn’t much of a walk in the park. He’s kind of a jerk.” Nico paused. “I didn’t personally get to see her, but Piper had to fight Khione and her brothers. But compared to everything in the House of Hades…” he shook his head. “Look. Going out into the world on quests isn’t everything you think it is.”

“That’s true,” Rachel mused. “I mean, I joke about it now because in retrospect it’s kinda funny, but at the time I was kind of scared when I met Kronos, well, met is kind of a loose term. Percy was being stupid-”

“As usual,” Nico added.

“-and Annabeth, Nico, and I were saving his sorry fishtail,” Rachel finished. “Kronos was just the guy Percy was stupidly being stupid around, and all I had was my hairbrush. So I threw it.”

Nico gave her a faint smile. “I remember that. Not my best moments, but…”

“We all have our low points,” Rachel said, putting on what she hoped was a deep philosophical look. “I mean, I used to have a crush on Percy! Annabeth and I were always at each other’s throats because of it. I mean, can you believe that? Annabeth and I are great friends now, and I’m the Oracle so I’ve sworn off dating, and- Nico, are you okay?”

Nico was choking on a piece of his cheeseburger from what Rachel could tell. He coughed, and started laughing. “Oh, yeah. I can believe it.”

Rachel gave him a sheepish look. “Right. I forgot you got caught in the middle of us down in the Labyrinth.”

“Right,” Nico agreed with a slight smirk. “Oh well. Percy’s just not your type, I guess.”

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Austin said, glancing between Rachel and Nico.

Rachel looked at Nico. “Yeah. Me too.”

“Inside joke,” Nico smiled. “I’ll have to tell you one day. After the war is over.”

“Assuming we all live,” Kayla pointed out.

Nico’s face went pale and the smile dropped quicker than Rachel could blink. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Assuming we all live. If not, I’ll just visit you all in Elysium and tell you then,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Not to keep going on about the morbid discussion of our afterlives,” Kayla said with a grimace, “but you’ll make Elysium too, Nico.”

“I have a room in my father’s palace,” Nico said flatly. “I’ll stay there, thank you very much. Do you know how  _ overcrowded _ Elysium would get if we lose this war?”

“Nice to know we will all be subjected to eternal overcrowded spaces,” Austin mumbled.

Nico shot him a wry grin. “It’s better than eternal punishment.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Yes.”

That kinda killed the mood seeing as Percy and Annabeth had been to Tartarus only recently.

“How’s Ella?” Kayla asked Rachel.

Rachel frowned. “She’s still muttering those incomplete lines, but there was a new one.  _ The fall of the sun, the final verse _ . I have no idea what that could mean.”

“We have four days until Gaea attacks,” Nico pointed out. “I don’t really like the sound of the  _ final verse _ part. Especially considering-” he cut himself off.

“Considering what?” Rachel asked.

“Well, Apollo’s fallen from grace hasn’t he?” Nico said. “He’s hiding from Zeus right now and he’s lost his Oracle. I sincerely hope there’s nothing final about any of this.”

Rachel couldn’t help but notice that he stuttered out an explanation, so that probably wasn’t what Nico was thinking about. But she didn’t press him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico's thinking about Apollo's death in his old timeline. Bum bum buh! I will admit, I have been thinking about how to incorporate TOA into the sequel, but that's a discussion for another time.
> 
> I WROTE CHAPTERS SEVENTY-FOUR AND SEVENTY-FIVE!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO POST THEM!!! (yeah, that's how far ahead I am...)
> 
> Anyway... I love Rachel's innocent reaction to Nico choking on his cheeseburger. Yes, Rachel. He reacted that way because he was caught between you and Annabeth. No possibly other reason.


	59. Delos (Leo LIX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Leo was kinda disappointed that Percy and Annabeth seemed to be slipping into a Nico di Angelo state of helpfulness about the future. Really, could it have hurt anything to  _ avoid _ that Kymopo-what’s-her-name?

The Argo II was now too damaged to fly, too slow to outrun monsters. They fought hungry sea serpents about every hour. They attracted schools of curious fish. At one point they got stuck on a rock, and Percy and Jason had to get out and push.

“Hey, man. Gelato,” Percy said, interrupting Leo’s pity party for his precious ship.

Instantly, Leo’s day got better. The whole crew sat on deck, without a storm or a monster attack to worry about for the first time in days, and ate ice cream. Well, except for Frank, who was lactose intolerant. He got an apple. The day was hot and windy. The sea glittered with chop, but Leo had fixed the stabilizers well enough that Hazel didn’t look too seasick.

He ate his double chocolate delight and tried to imagine that he and his friends were just chilling on a vacation. Which made him wish Calypso was with him, which made him wish the war was over and everybody was alive… which made him sad. It was 30 July. Less than forty-eight hours until G-Day, when Gaia, the Princess of Potty Sludge, would awaken in all her dirt-faced glory.

“Alright,” Leo clapped his hands. “We are almost to Delos and then we can be on our way to the Acropolis to set off the apocalypse. Remind me why we want to do that again?”

“Because Gaea will just find two unsuspecting demigods to use,” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Plus, she’ll be easier to defeat when she has form.”

Piper set down her ice-cream cup. “So, the island of Delos is right across the harbour. Artemis and Apollo’s home turf. Who’s going?”

“Me,” Leo said immediately.

Everybody stared at him.

“What?” Leo demanded. “I’m diplomatic and stuff. Frank and Hazel volunteered to back me up.”

“We did?” Frank lowered his half-eaten apple. “I mean… sure we did.”

“Okay, but I want Will to go with you,” Annabeth said firmly. “Apollo’s his dad. Hopefully he won’t kill his own son.”

Will sputtered. “Hopefully? Excuse me?”

“Relax, dude,” Percy grinned. “We’ll get you back to Nico in one piece. Oh, one more thing. Don’t mention haiku unless you want your ears to bleed.”

Hazel knitted her eyebrows. “Why not? Isn’t he the god of poetry?”

“God of awful poetry,” Will muttered darkly.

.

Leo and Hazel rode Arion while Will hitched a ride on Frank the giant eagle. They found the island deserted, maybe because the seas were too choppy for the tourist boats. The windswept hills were barren except for rocks, grass and wildflowers – and, of course, a bunch of crumbling temples. The rubble was probably very impressive, but, ever since Olympia, Leo had been on ancient ruins overload. He was so done with white marble columns. He wanted to get back to the U.S., where the oldest buildings were the public schools and Ye Olde McDonald’s.

They walked down an avenue lined with white stone lions, the faces weathered almost featureless.

“It’s eerie,” Hazel said.

“You sense any ghosts?” Frank asked.

She shook her head. “The lack of ghosts is eerie. Back in ancient times, Delos was sacred ground. No mortal was allowed to be born here or die here. There are literally no mortal spirits on this whole island.”

“That’s oddly interesting,” Will said, glancing around.

Leo shrugged. “Cool with me,” Leo said. “Does that mean nobody’s allowed to kill us here?”

“I didn’t say that.” Hazel stopped at the summit of a low hill. “Look. Down there.”

Below them, the hillside had been carved into an amphitheatre. Scrubby plants sprouted between the rows of stone benches, so it looked like a concert for thorn bushes. Down at the bottom, sitting on a block of stone in the middle of the stage, the god Apollo hunched over a ukulele, plucking out a mournful tune.

At least, Leo assumed it was Apollo. The dude looked about seventeen, with curly blond hair and a perfect tan. He wore tattered jeans, a black T-shirt and a white linen jacket with glittering rhinestone lapels, like he was trying for an Elvis/Ramones/Beach Boys hybrid look. He kinda looked a lot like Will.

Sitting in the front row was a young girl of about thirteen, wearing black leggings and a silver tunic, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was whittling on a long piece of wood – making a bow.

“Dad,” Will said in surprise.

Apollo looked up. His head cocked to the side as he paused his tune. “Will?”

His sister sighed. “There you are. We were beginning to wonder.”

“You knew we were coming?” Leo asked.

Apollo plucked a tune that sounded like the funeral version of ‘Camptown Races’. “We were expecting to be found, bothered and tormented. We didn’t know by whom. Can you not leave us to our misery?”

“I don’t understand,” Will said in confusion. “Greeks and Romans have made peace. Nico… Nico and I helped Reyna get the Athena Parthenos back to Camp. Why are you here?”

“Why is Nike split between Victoria and herself?” Artemis sighed. “There is still a Greek-Roman schism, nephew. The Romans do not all believe Gaea is rising.”

“Then we have to prove that she is!” Hazel said frantically. “Then everything will be alright. They’ll work together.”

“Alright?” Apollo sobbed over his ukulele. “None of us are alright, girl! Gaia is rising and I was misled by Gaia and that horrible Roman child! Even now he places doubt among the Romans.”

Frank cleared his throat. “Uh, Lord Apollo, you mean Octavian?”

“Do not speak his name!” Apollo strummed a minor chord. “Oh, Frank Zhang, if only you were my child. I heard your prayers, you know, all those weeks you wanted to be claimed. But alas! Mars gets all the good ones. I get… that creature as my descendant. He filled my head with compliments. He told me of the great temples he would build in my honor.” He sighed and looked at Will. “Although my son is easily one of the greatest healers of any of my children.”

Will flushed. “Thanks, dad.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Apollo sighed. “Zeus blames me for this mess. I cannot step off Delos otherwise he will strike me down. Zeus blames me for everything – Octavian’s schemes, the fall of Delphi –”

“Wait,” Hazel said holding up a hand. “The fall of Delphi. Percy and Annabeth wanted to ask you about a prophecy. One you gave Hecate.”

Apollo looked upset. “Of course they would ask,” he wailed. “My last prophecy before Python took over the Delphic Oracle. Do not ask me to repeat it, child of Pluto. It will not come true for years. That much I can foresee still.”

Frank stepped forward. “We have to know, Lord Apollo. Even if it won’t come true for years… if anything could help us-”

“What more do you need?” Apollo asked harshly. “Your three companions are gifted with a second chance, are they not?”

Leo’s jaw dropped. “What? You know this too?” he complained.

“I am the god of the prophecy,” Apollo frowned. “I knew when the prophecies changed. Words and meaning. That time travel trick changed my prophecies.”

“Please, father,” Will begged. “We need to know.”

Artemis pursed her lips, but gestured to her brother to comply.

Apollo sighed again. “If you must know,” he said mournfully. “ _ Return to the pit of darkness and despair / The Sea and the Wise brings a breath of fresh air / But beware and protect the Healer’s mended soul / For deception and trickery are learnt in relation’s whole / Sweet flower lights the way of truth through power / To find the servants in her darkest hour / And fail to come home with torches in hand / New era of destruction shall be wrought on this land _ .” He sighed. "My last prophecy before Python took over Delphi. How tragic is that?"

Leo didn’t really know what to think. The Sea, the Wise, and the Healer could likely mean Percy, Annabeth, and Will if he had to hazard a guess off the top of his mind. Everything else… that was all Greek to him.

“Well that was insightful,” Leo managed. “Uh, look, so we’ve got this plan, right? To make the Physician’s cure.”

“The physician’s cure?” Apollo stood and smashed his ukulele on the stones. “That’s your plan?”

Leo raised his hands. “Hey, um, usually I’m all for smashing ukuleles, but –”

“I cannot help you!” Apollo cried. “If I told you the secret of the physician’s cure, Zeus would never forgive me!”

“You’re already in trouble,” Leo pointed out. “How could it get worse?”

Apollo glared at him. “If you knew what my father is capable of, mortal, you would not ask. It would be simpler if I just smote you all. Not you, Will, of course. That might please Zeus –”

“Brother…” Artemis said.

The twins locked eyes and had a silent argument. Apparently Artemis won. Apollo heaved a sigh and kicked his broken ukulele across the stage.

Artemis rose. “Will Solace, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, come with me. There are things you should know about the Twelfth Legion. As for you, Leo Valdez –” The goddess turned those cold silver eyes on him. “Apollo will hear you out. See if you can strike a deal. My brother always likes a good bargain.”

.

Leo was regretting not insisting Will stay with him. Apollo was  _ not _ in his right mind, and that was kinda scary.

He had ended up fiddling with random things from his tool belt and built the newly dubbed Valdezinator. He laid out the plan Percy and Annabeth had given him in their letter. He had subsequently given up the Valdezinator to Apollo in exchange for not killing him. He found out that they would have to go see Asclepius to make the Physician’s cure. He also found out the curse of Delos was a flower.

Really. He was starting to get really,  _ really _ annoyed at time travelers not telling them anything.

When he finally caught up to Will, Hazel, and Frank, they were looking worried.

“So what did you learn from Artemis?” Leo asked them.

Frank scowled. “Oh just that Octavian’s been in contact with people outside Camp. He’s got onagers ready to fire at the walls the Legion built to protect Camp Half-Blood.”

“So basically, the walls will be destroyed in seconds,” Hazel grimaced. “I don’t think Octavian really cares who he hurts to get his way.”

“Plus he has a bunch of monsters waiting outside with orders to attack the Greeks,” Will added. “I don’t really know what he’s thinking. Maybe that the Romans will turn on the Greeks if the monsters are attacking only Greeks?”

“But as soon as the monsters and the legion destroy Camp Half-Blood,” Frank said, “the monsters will turn on Octavian and destroy the legion.” He sighed. “Octavian is going to ruin everything. But you’ve got the curse of Delos?”

Leo winced. “Yeah, but, look. The reason I asked you two to come was because you’re Romans. You get the whole sacrifice thing – doing your duty, jumping on your sword.” He took a deep breath and explained what Percy and Annabeth told him.

“Leo,” Hazel whispered, tearing up.

“Are you sure?” Frank asked him, choking up.

“Yeah,” Leo managed a grin. “Doing the impossible, right?” He looked at Will. “Don’t go reciting your whole ‘Do no harm’ thing, Doctor Solace. I’ve gotta do this.”

Will nodded tightly. “Okay. I… I get it. Just make sure it works, okay? If you’re planning to die fighting Gaea, then it better work the first time because you won’t come back the second time.”

Leo snorted. “Those doctor’s orders?”

Will grimaced. “No. More like… friend’s orders.”

“I hate this plan,” Frank said.

“I despise it,” Hazel said.

“Think how I feel,” Leo said. “But you know it’s our best shot.”

Neither of them argued. Leo kind of wished they had.

“Let’s get back to the ship,” he said. “We have a healer god to find.”

.

“Did you ask about the prophecy?” Percy demanded as soon as they got back on the ship.

Leo swallowed. “Yeah. Hang on. It was something like  _ Return to the pit of darkness and despair / The Sea and the Wise brings a breath of fresh air / But beware and protect the Healer’s mended soul / For deception and trickery are learnt in relation’s whole / Sweet flower lights the way of truth through power / To find the servants in her darkest hour / And fail to come home with torches in hand / New era of destruction shall be wrought on this land _ .” Leo tried to grin. “Cheery isn’t it?”

“I was going to say ominous,” Piper said with a frown. “I mean, I know prophecies aren’t usually straightforward, but usually you can make a guess at some parts. I mean, the only thing I got from that was it definitely involves the children of Poseidon and Athena. Maybe a child of Apollo too?” Her eyes flitted in Percy, Annabeth, and Will’s direction.

“Oh definitely,” Percy scowled. “I mean,  _ return to the pit of darkness and despair _ ? What could  _ that _ possibly mean? Who do you know that just happens to have been to Tartarus before? Oh, and don’t forget, they have to be children of Poseidon and Athena, so that really narrows it down.”

Annabeth’s face was pale. “That was Hecate’s prophecy? Oh gods.”

“I don’t like the  _ new era of destruction _ part,” Jason said darkly. “I don’t like this prophecy at all.”

Hazel hummed to herself. “I think I have an idea, but I don’t think we should worry ourselves with interpreting this. We have to be focused for the fight with Gaea.”

“She’s right,” Frank agreed. “As much as I want to know what this prophecy means, we can’t just waste all our time and energy sifting through its various meanings.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so new prophecy. You can tell I wrote it because it sounds like a bad Harry Potter prophecy or something and also bad poetry. I hate (well, okay, not hate, but I extremely dislike) poetry. Writing it, that is. Generally, prophecies rhyme, hence it is poetry. I think. Whatever.
> 
> I will use this prophecy either a) in a future sequel, b) in a future story completely unrelated to this story but still in the PJO/HOO/TOA universe, or c) the story in question from choice b that will never see the light of day because it's unlike to be finished past the first three ish chapters. Personally, I'm leaning towards option a. Just thought I'd throw it in here to leave it open for myself to come back and write more. I mean, I know what I'm going to do with it, I just have to write the story. Anyway, if I DO write it, then it will be the sequel to this story's sequel. So the third in a series.
> 
> And now, enough of my ramblings. What do y'all think about the prophecy? Any guesses? I hope I didn't make anything too obscure or too obvious. Gotta be like Goldilocks, ya know? Just right.


	60. Idiot Mode (Leo LX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Percy’s cackle of “Don’t forget idiot mode” was slightly confusing, but whatever. Not to mention his “ _ See _ you soon” to Jason which sent the son of Poseidon into another fit of giggles. Then after getting attacked by a giant statue of hygiene or something, Leo finally understood.

Jason ran to Leo’s side, gasping. “What’s the plan?”

“We can’t destroy these things,” Leo said. “They’re designed for self-healing. They’re immune to pretty much every kind of damage.”

“Great,” Jason said. “So…?”

“You remember Chiron’s old gaming system?” Leo asked.

Jason’s eyes widened. “Leo… this isn’t Mario Party Six.”

“Same principle, though.”

“Idiot mode? Is that why Percy was laughing so much?”

“I hate time travelers,” Leo grinned. “I’ll need you and Piper to run interference. I’ll reprogram the snake, then Big Bertha.”

“Hygeia.”

“Whatever. Ready?”

“No.”

Leo and Jason ran for the snake.

It took a little doing, but Leo managed to rewired the serpent and then the giant statue. Hygeia raised her cup and poured acid over her face. Then she turned and marched face-first into the  nearest wall. The snake reared up and slammed its head repeatedly into the floor.

One final rewiring of the blinking signs above the door.

The top one flashed:

THE DOCTOR IS:

IN DA HOUSE.

The bottom sign changed to read:

NOW SERVING:

ALL DA LADIES LUV LEO!

The metal door swung open, and Leo settled to the floor.

“See, the wait wasn’t so bad!” Leo grinned at his friends. “The doctor will see us now.”

.

Apparently Jason was short-sighted, so Asclepius handed him some glasses with Imperial gold frames. At least Percy’s joke from earlier started to make some sense.

They found out Asclepius knew about the time Piper fell off a horse and broke her arm when she was six, knew that she was a vegetarian, and knew she got hit with something heavy a month ago.

But when he turned to Leo...

“And you… Oh, my.” The doctor’s expression turned grim. The friendly twinkle disappeared from his eyes. “Oh, I see…” The doctor’s expression said,  _ I am so, so sorry _ .

Leo’s heart filled with cement. If he’d harboured any last hopes of avoiding what was to come, they now sank.

“What?” Jason’s new glasses flashed. “What’s wrong with Leo?”

“Hey, doc.” Leo shot him a drop it look. Hopefully they knew about patient confidentiality in Ancient Greece. “We came for the physician’s cure. Can you help us? I’ve got some Pylosian mint here and a very nice yellow daisy.” He set the ingredients on the desk.

Jason and Piper knew that Leo was probably going to die, they knew he needed the Physician’s cure, but Leo was not about to have Asclepius spill the beans on the manner of his death.

Asclepius set the daisy and poison in front of his snake Spike. “Pylosian mint – certainty of death. The curse of Delos – anchoring that which cannot be anchored. Now the final ingredient: the heartbeat of the chained god – chaos, violence and fear of mortality.” He turned to Piper. “My dear, you may release the makhai.”

.

“So we got the cure now,” Leo said brightly.

“Which is great, and I assume you two know what to do with it?” Will said, looking at Percy and Annabeth.

Percy nodded. “Yep. Don’t worry about it. It’s all taken care of.”

Leo excused himself and made his way down the the engine room. He took a deep breath. He reached into his tool belt and pulled out the vial of the physician's cure.

“It’s gotta be this way,” Leo said quietly. “Otherwise we’ll all die. I’ve got to destroy Gaea.”

Leo stared at the engine. He’d spent so much time putting it together. He’d sacrificed months of sweat and pain and loneliness. Now the Argo II was approaching the end of its voyage. Leo’s whole life – his childhood with Tía Callida; his mother’s death in that warehouse fire; his years as a foster kid; his months at Camp Half-Blood with Jason and Piper – all of it would culminate tomorrow morning in one final battle. He opened the access panel.

Festus’s voice creaked over the intercom.

“Yeah, buddy,” Leo agreed. “It’s time.”

More creaking.

“I know,” Leo said. “Together till the end?”

Festus squeaked affirmatively.

Leo checked the ancient bronze astrolabe, which was now fitted with the crystal from Ogygia. Leo could only hope it would work.

“I will get back to you, Calypso,” he muttered. “I promised on the River Styx.”

He flipped a switch and brought the navigation device online. He set the timer for twenty-four h ours. Finally he opened the engine’s ventilator line and pushed inside the vial of the physician's cure. It disappeared into the veins of the ship with a decisive thunk.

“Too late to turn back now,” Leo said.

He curled on the floor and closed his eyes, determined to enjoy the familiar hum of the engine for one last night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about to get real. The actual battle against the Giants and Gaea is coming up soon.


	61. This is It (Percy LXI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

“So… so we should say everything we want to now,” Percy said nervously. “Today’s the day. Everything we’ve been working for will either make this end the way we want or go just as wrong as last time.”

Jason winced. “Dude, that was the worst pep talk ever.”

“It’s true,” Percy shrugged. “Do or die time. I talked to Nico last night. Warned him about Octavian. He said he’ll try to get Lou Ellen and Cecil to help him disable all the onagers.”

“Ugh, those things are nasty,” Frank shuddered. “If Octavian’s planning to use Imperial gold, anything those onagers fire at goes up in flames in seconds.”

Percy’s eyes flicked in Leo’s direction. Then he cleared his throat. “Right. Yeah. Actually, last time it was Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil who went to disable the onagers.” He frowned at Will. “I think Nico said something about you volunteering for the job to get fresh air.”

Annabeth failed at holding back a snort. “I’d want fresh air too if I delivered a baby satyr.”

Will looked gobsmacked. “What?” he shouted.

“Yeah, you were like ‘Nico, you almost chopped off my head, but feel my hands. They’re shaking. I just delivered a baby satyr,’” Percy mimicked, holding out his hands.

“I am not delivering any babies!” Will yelled.

Percy crossed his arms. “Too bad. Your future self promised to deliver my firstborn. I’m holding you to that.” He grinned. “Just kidding. But I’m still going to ask you anyway.”

Piper seemed to take pity on Will because she coughed loudly. “So what were your last words again?”

“Well, I love you,” Percy said looking at Annabeth. “It’s been a wild adventure since we were twelve. Two Great Prophecies. Some love triangles. Going to hell and back. Twice.”

Annabeth smiled at him. “Pretty much. But no one else I’d rather do it all with.” She kissed him, then looked at their friends. “In a little bit, Piper’s going to come with us. I’ll explain that later, but you should all know how much we love you guys.”

“You’ve grown a lot,” Percy said to Frank. “Physically and confidence wise. So have you,” he added, turning to Piper. “You aren’t a pushover daughter of Aphrodite. You mean business and you aren’t someone to mess with.” He pulled them into a one armed hug on either side.

“Hazel,” Annabeth said, “you have so much heart. You’re not cursed. You’re amazing and wonderful, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend. You helped Nico heal, and for that, we’ll always be grateful because he deserves a sister like you.” She drew a shaky breath. “Leo, from the moment we told you guys about our secret you knew about the Physician’s cure and why we need it. You haven’t run away screaming yet. You are so, so brave.” She gave him a watery smile, and Hazel a tight hug.

“Jason, my bro,” Percy said with a grin. “I remember when I was beating you up in a Kansas field. We’ve come pretty far, I think.”

“Sorry, when were you beating me up?” Jason asked in confusion.

Percy waved him off. “Other timeline. Possessed by eidolons, we fought to the death. I was totally winning though. Until Piper stopped us,” he scowled. Then he shrugged. “Whatever. Point is, you’re my bro. So don’t go dying on me. I’ll miss you too much.”

“Will,” Annabeth said fondly. “I guess we weren’t as close as we were before, but you’ve been a great friend. I know it was probably crazy getting thrown into this adventure, but you did great. Don’t be a stranger if we make it out of this alive.”

“You guys suck,” Leo complained. “I’m going to cry now.”

“Yeah,” Hazel agreed, blinking rapidly. “Making us all sad.”

“Group hug!” Jason shouted.

They clumped together in the middle of the deck just holding onto each other. And then the snake people arrived.

.

Piper easily overpowered Kekrops with her voice again. Percy almost shouted out how right he was about Piper, but decided against it. Annabeth was talking with Will, Leo, Frank, and Hazel about strategy while he and Jason guarded Piper.

“Well,” Percy said when Annabeth returned. “Until we meet again at the Acropolis. Love you all. Live long and prosper.”

“Hey!” Leo protested. “That’s my line!”

Annabeth frowned. “I thought you didn’t like Star Trek. You were upset when Jason called you a Vulcan.”

“You have a really good memory,” Leo muttered.

.

The snake men led them through an iron storm grate at the docks, straight into their underground lair, which smelled of rotting fish, mould and snakeskin.

“I don’t like this place,” Annabeth murmured. “Reminds me of when I was underneath Rome.”

Kekrops hissed with laughter. “Our domain is much older. Much, much older.”

Annabeth slipped her hand into Percy’s. Piper’s voice echoed through the tunnels. As they travelled further into the lair, more snake people gathered to hear her. Soon they had a procession following behind them – dozens of gemini all swaying and slithering.

They passed through crude stone chambers littered with bones. They climbed slopes so steep and slippery it was nearly impossible to keep their footing. At one point, they passed a warm cave the size of a gymnasium filled with snake eggs, their tops covered with a layer of silver filaments like slimy Christmas tinsel. More and more snake people joined their procession. Slithering behind her, they sounded like an army of football players shuffling with sandpaper on their cleats.

_ I wake _ . A woman’s voice, as clear as Piper’s singing.

Annabeth froze. “Oh, that’s not good.”

“It’s like Tartarus,” Percy said, his voice edgy. “You remember… his heartbeat. When he appeared –”

“Don’t,” Annabeth said. “Just don’t.”

“Sorry.”

The voice of Gaia spoke again, louder:  _ At last _ .

Piper’s singing wavered.

Finally they reached the top of a steep slope, where the path ended in a curtain of green goo.

Kekrops faced the demigods. “Beyond this camouflage is the Acropolis. You must remain here. I will check that your way is clear.”

“Wait.” Piper turned to address the crowd of gemini. “There is only death above. You will be safer in the tunnels. Hurry back. Forget you saw us. Protect yourselves.”

The fear in her voice channelled perfectly with the charmspeak. Percy was tempted to high tail it out of there. The snake people, even the guards, turned and slithered into the darkness, leaving only the king.

“Kekrops,” Piper said, “you’re planning to betray us as soon as you step through that goo.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “I will alert the giants. They will destroy you.” Then he hissed. “Why did I tell you that?”

“Listen to the heartbeat of Gaia,” Piper urged. “You can sense her rage, can’t you?”

Kekrops wavered. The end of his staff glowed dimly. “I can, yes. She is angry.”

“She’ll destroy everything,” Piper said. “She’ll reduce the Acropolis to a smoking crater. Athens – your city – will be utterly destroyed, your people along with it. You believe me, don’t you?”

Percy’s eyes flashed with the memories of the aftermath of the war. Half sunken skyscrapers poking out of the ground at odd angles. Whole areas where people’s homes used to be swallowed up by the earth. Friends and allies sinking into the ground like quicksand. He shook his head.

Annabeth shook her head in amazement. “Piper, that was incredible.”

“We’ll see if it works.” Piper sat down on the cool stone floor.

The others squatted next to her. Percy handed her a canteen of water.

“Thanks,” she said gratefully.

Percy nodded. “No problem.”

“What I told Kekrops,” Piper said quietly. “How… how bad was it?”

Percy and Annabeth glanced around the walls of the cave nervously. Gaea could be listening, and giving away their secret was probably not a good idea.

“Uh, well, assuming Gaea wins, I think it's safe to say she’ll swallow up, uh, the world,” Annabeth said carefully.

Piper winced. “Oh. Right.”

The heartbeat of Gaia echoed through the floor.

“Do you guys ever think about your families?” she asked.

Percy’s gaze became unfocused. His lower lip quivered. “My mom… I – I haven’t even seen her since Hera made me disappear. The first time, you know? I mean, I was with her for a few months, but right then I was just so focused on making this right that I didn't even think about spending as much time as I could with her. I called her from Alaska. I gave Coach Hedge some letters to deliver to her. I…” His voice broke. “She’s all I’ve got. Her and my stepdad, Paul. I… I don’t want them to die.”

“What about you, Annabeth?”

“My dad… my stepmom and step-brothers.” She turned the drakon-bone blade in her lap. “After all I’ve been through in the past year, it seems stupid that I resented them for so long. And my dad’s relatives… I haven’t thought about them in years. I have an uncle and cousin in Boston.” Annabeth smiled weakly. “I never see them. My dad and my uncle don’t get along. Some old rivalry. I don’t know. It’s stupid what keeps people apart.”

“Let’s make sure there’s a world to see, and then you and I could take a trip to see them,” Percy suggested. “Or you could work on getting rid of that rivalry. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth agreed.

At the top of the tunnel, the green membrane rippled. Kekrops emerged alone.

“The way is clear,” he said. “But hurry. The ceremony is almost complete.”

Percy, Annabeth and Piper found themselves in a cool, damp pit that seemed to be the basement level of a temple. All around them, uneven ground stretched into darkness under a low ceiling of stone. Directly above their heads, a rectangular gap was open to the sky. Percy could see the edges of walls and the tops of columns, but no monsters… yet.

He swallowed. “This is it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! The final battle is coming up! I'm so excited!


	62. The Blood of Olympus (Piper LXII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus (you know... like the chapter title says...)

Piper hoped Annabeth and Percy hadn’t let themselves get captured. Even if bleeding out and waking Gaea was inevitable, she would prefer it if they all still fought their hardest. Judging by the struggle they were putting up though, Piper would guess that they hadn’t intended to get caught.

Annabeth’s blood sizzled as it soaked into the earth. The daughter of Athena looked shocked and angry. But she kept fighting fiercely. Percy was putting up quite the fight too.

The giants all seemed surprised at the skill of the son of Poseidon, daughter of Athena, and daughter of Aphrodite.

“Who wants to be the next Popsicle?” Piper yelled, channelling anger into her charmspeak. “Who wants to go back to Tartarus?”

That seemed to hit a nerve. The giants shuffled uneasily, glancing at the frozen body of Periboia. And why shouldn’t Piper intimidate them? Aphrodite was the most ancient Olympian, born of the sea and the blood of Ouranos. She was older than Poseidon or Athena or even Zeus. And Piper was her daughter.  More than that, she was a McLean. Her father had come from nothing. Now he was known all over the world. The McLeans didn’t retreat. Like all Cherokee, they knew how to endure suffering, keep their pride and, when necessary, fight back. This was the time to fight back.

Forty feet away, Percy bent over the giant king, trying to yank a sword from the braids of his hair. But Porphyrion wasn’t as stunned as he let on.

“Fools!” Porphyrion backhanded Percy like a pesky fly. The son of Poseidon flew into a column with a sickening crunch. Porphyrion rose. “These demigods cannot kill us! They do not have the help of the gods. Remember who you are!”

The giants closed in. A dozen spears were pointed at Piper’s chest.

Annabeth struggled to her feet. She retrieved Periboia’s hunting knife, but each time a drop of her blood hit the ground it bubbled, turning from red to gold.

Percy tried to stand, but he was obviously dazed. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself.

Piper’s only choice was to keep the giants focused on her.

“Come on, then!” she yelled. “I’ll destroy you all myself if I have to!”

A metallic smell of storm filled the air. All the hairs on Piper’s arms stood up.

“The thing is,” said a voice from above, “you don’t have to.”

Piper’s heart could’ve floated out of her body. At the top of the nearest colonnade stood Jason, his sword gleaming gold in the sun. Frank and Will stood at his side, their bows ready. Hazel sat astride Arion, who reared and whinnied in challenge.

With a deafening blast, a white-hot bolt arced from the sky, straight through Jason’s body as he  leaped, wreathed in lightning, at the giant king.  Jason fell on King Porphyrion with such force that the giant crumpled to his knees – blasted with lightning and stabbed in the neck with a golden gladius. Frank and Will unleashed a hail of arrows, driving back the giants nearest to Percy. Although, one arrow almost hit Percy who yelped.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Will shouted in dismay.

“No offense, but I wish we got stuck with Nico, not you!” Percy screamed back.

“I wish Nico was here instead of me too!” Will yelled, firing off more arrows.

The Argo II rose above the ruins and all the ballistae and catapults fired simultaneously. Leo must have programmed the weapons with surgical precision. A wall of Greek fire roared upward all around the Parthenon. It didn’t touch the interior, but in a flash most of the smaller monsters around it were incinerated.

Leo’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker: “SURRENDER! YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ONE SPANKING HOT WAR MACHINE!”

The giant Enceladus howled in outrage. “Valdez!”

“WHAT’S UP, ENCHILADAS?” Leo’s voice roared back. “NICE DAGGER IN YOUR FOREHEAD.”

“GAH!” The giant pulled Katoptris out of his head. “Monsters: destroy that ship!”

The remaining forces tried their best. A flock of gryphons rose to attack. Festus the figurehead blew flames and chargrilled them out of the sky. A few Earthborn launched a volley of rocks, but from the sides of the hull a dozen Archimedes spheres sprayed out, intercepting the boulders and blasting them to dust.

Hazel spurred Arion off the colonnade and they leaped into battle. The forty-foot fall would have broken any other horse’s legs, but Arion hit the ground running. Hazel zipped from giant to giant, stinging them with the blade of her spatha.

The giantess Periboia had thawed with alarming speed. She tried to grab Annabeth, but, despite her bleeding wound, Annabeth was holding her own. She stabbed at the giantess with her own hunting knife and led her in a deadly game of tag around the throne.

Percy was back on his feet, Riptide once again in his hands. He still looked dazed. His nose was bleeding Piper noted with a heartstopping breath. But he pulled out a - was that a tissue? - shoved it up his nose and kept fighting.

Piper stood back to back with Jason, fighting every giant who dared to come close. For a moment she felt elated. They were actually winning! But too soon their element of surprise faded. The giants overcame their confusion.

Frank ran out of arrows. He changed into a rhinoceros and leaped into battle, but as fast as he could knock down the giants they got up again. Their wounds seemed to be healing faster. Will had also run out of arrows, and had awkwardly picked up a sword that had fallen out of Porphyrion’s hair. Annabeth lost ground against Periboia. Hazel was knocked out of her saddle at sixty miles an hour. Jason summoned another lightning strike, but this time Porphyrion simply deflected it off the tip of his spear.

The giants were bigger, stronger and more numerous. They couldn’t be killed without the help of the gods. And they didn’t seem to be tiring. The seven demigods were forced into a defensive ring.

Another volley of Earthborn rocks hit the Argo II. This time Leo couldn’t return fire fast enough. Rows of oars were sheared off. The ship shuddered and tilted in the sky. Then Enceladus threw his fiery spear. It pierced the ship’s hull and exploded inside, sending spouts of fire through the oar openings. An ominous black cloud billowed from the deck. The Argo II began to sink.

“Leo!” Jason cried.

Porphyrion laughed. “You demigods have learned nothing. There are no gods to aid you. We need only one more thing from you to make our victory complete.”

The giant king smiled expectantly. He seemed to be looking at Percy Jackson.

Percy shot him a cocky smile that was somewhat lessened in effect by the tissue hanging out of his nose. “Nah nah, I brought tissues just for this occasion.” His face scrunched up. “Oh gods.” He sneezed once. Twice.

The tissue dislodged itself from Percy’s nose. Percy grasped at it desperately. His hand snagged the tissue before it could hit the ground. But with the tissue gone, Percy's nose was free to bleed. A drop of blood hit the ground between his feet and sizzled like water on a frying pan. The blood of Olympus watered the ancient stones. The Acropolis groaned and shifted as the Earth Mother woke.

“Are you kidding me?” Piper shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Percy, but to me it's hilarious that a bloody nose is the start of the end of the world.


	63. The Second Gigantomachy Pt. 1 (Jason LXIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Okay, so going into this, they all knew Annabeth and Percy’s blood would wake Gaea. They also knew that Percy was destined to get a nosebleed. However, Percy had been justifiably embarrassed about the ordeal, so it was reasonable to assume that he would not want to be the one to start the end of the world with a nose bleed.

Apparently the Fates had a sense of humor because when Percy sneezed and forced the tissue plugging his nose bleed to shoot out, everyone seemed to startled to realize what just happened. Percy grabbed the tissue before it could hit the floor, but he didn't take into account the actual bleeding nose.

Jason stared at the tissue in Percy's hand in a daze before registering the Olympian gods charging out of the heavens on their war chariots, trumpets blaring, swords flaming.

There was supersized Jupiter – no, this was Zeus, his original form – riding into battle in a golden chariot, a lightning bolt the size of a telephone pole crackling in one hand. Pulling his chariot were four horses made of wind, each constantly shifting from equine to human form, trying to break free. For a split second, one took on the icy visage of Boreas. Another wore Notus’s swirling crown of fire and steam. A third flashed the smug lazy smile of Zephyrus. Zeus had bound and harnessed the four wind gods themselves.

On the underbelly of the Argo II, the glass bay doors split open. The goddess Nike tumbled out, free from her golden net. She spread her glittering wings and soared to Zeus’s side, taking her rightful place as his charioteer.

“MY MIND IS RESTORED!” she roared. “VICTORY TO THE GODS!”

At Zeus’s left flank rode Hera, her chariot pulled by enormous peacocks, their rainbow-coloured plumage so bright it gave Jason the spins. Ares bellowed with glee as he thundered down on the back of a fire-breathing horse. His spear glistened red.

In the last second, before the gods reached the Parthenon, they seemed to displace themselves, like they’d jumped through hyperspace. The chariots disappeared. Suddenly Jason and his friends were surrounded by the Olympians, now human-sized, tiny next to the giants, but glowing with power. Jason shouted and charged Porphyrion. His friends joined in the carnage.

The fighting ranged all over the Parthenon and spilled across the Acropolis. Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Annabeth fighting Enceladus. At her side stood a woman with long dark hair and golden armour over her white robes. Athena. The goddess thrust her spear at the giant, then brandished her shield with the fearsome bronzed visage of Medusa. Together, Athena and Annabeth drove Enceladus back into the nearest wall of metal scaffolding, which collapsed on top of him.

On the opposite side of the temple, Frank Zhang and the god Ares smashed through an entire phalanx of giants – Ares with his spear and shield, Frank (as an African elephant) with his trunk and feet. The war god laughed and stabbed and disembowell like a kid destroying piñatas.

Hazel raced through the battle on Arion’s back, disappearing in the Mist whenever a giant came close, then appearing behind him and stabbing him in the back. The goddess Hecate danced in her wake, setting fire to their enemies with two blazing torches. Jason didn’t see Hades, but whenever a giant stumbled and fell the ground broke open and the giant was snapped up and swallowed.

Will radiated light. Jason had not actually seen what Will looked like during him and Nico’s shadow traveling adventures, but he had seen the faint glow through the swirl of shadows. He could only assume the son of Apollo shone as bright as he was now. His quiver was full again, and he was shooting arrows towards a handsome giant Jason hadn’t noticed before. All his arrows seemed to make their target.

“Nico’s going to flip!” Percy’s voice shouted. “Will Solace actually hitting his target? I can’t believe he’s missing this!”

It had to be the blessing of Apollo because not too far off from Will, Jason could see the twins battling the giant. Orion. The bane of Apollo and Artemis.

Damasen the friendly giant that Percy and Annabeth helped escape Tartarus was fighting with Orion fiercely while Will, Apollo, and Artemis danced around, shooting arrows at Orion.

Percy battled the giant twins, Otis and Ephialtes, while at his side fought a bearded man with a trident and a loud Hawaiian shirt. With a grin, Jason noticed Bob the Titan was cheerfully whacking the two giants with his broom.

“SWEEP!” Bob yelled as he swung his broom.

“Alright, Bob!” Percy cheered, cutting at the twin giants’ legs.

The twin giants stumbled. Poseidon’s trident morphed into a fire hose, and the god sprayed the giants out of the Parthenon with a high-powered blast in the shape of wild horses.

Piper was maybe the most impressive. She fenced with the giantess Periboia, sword against sword. Despite the fact that her opponent was five times larger, Piper seemed to be holding her own. The goddess Aphrodite floated around them on a small white cloud, strewing rose petals in the giantess’s eyes and calling encouragement to Piper. “Lovely, my dear. Yes, good. Hit her again!” Whenever Periboia tried to strike, doves rose up from nowhere and fluttered in the giantess’s face.

As for Leo, he was racing across the deck of the Argo II, shooting ballistae, dropping hammers on the giants’ heads and blowtorching their loincloths. Behind him at the helm, a burly bearded guy in a mechanic’s uniform was tinkering with the controls, furiously trying to keep the ship aloft.

The strangest sight was the old giant Thoon, who was getting bludgeoned to death by three old ladies with brass clubs – the Fates, armed for war. Jason decided there was nothing in the world scarier than a gang of bat-wielding grannies.

He noticed all of these things, and a dozen other melees in progress, but most of his attention was fixed on the enemy before him – Porphyrion, the giant king – and on the god who fought by Jason’s side: Zeus.

_ My father _ , Jason thought in disbelief.

Porphyrion didn’t give him much chance to savour the moment. The giant used his spear in a whirlwind of swipes, jabs and slashes. It was all Jason could do to stay alive.

Zeus smelled of rain and clean wind. He made the air burn with energy. Up close, his lightning bolt appeared as a bronze rod a metre long, pointed on both ends, with blades of energy extending from both sides to form a javelin of white electricity. He slashed across the giant’s path and Porphyrion collapsed into his makeshift throne, which crumbled under the giant’s weight.

“No throne for you,” Zeus growled. “Not here. Not ever.”

“You cannot stop us!” the giant yelled. “It is done! The Earth Mother is awake!”

In answer, Zeus blasted the throne to rubble. The giant king flew backwards out of the temple and Jason ran after him, his father at his heels. They backed Porphyrion to the edge of the cliffs, the whole of modern Athens spread out below. Lightning had melted all the weapons in the giant’s hair. Molten Celestial bronze dripped through his dreadlocks like caramel. His skin steamed and blistered.

Porphyrion snarled and raised his spear. “Your cause is lost, Zeus. Even if you defeat me, the Earth Mother shall simply raise me again!”

“Then perhaps,” Zeus said, “you should not die in the embrace of Gaia. Jason, my son…”

Jason didn’t hesitate. Percy, Annabeth, and Nico had said Gaea kept raising her giants. If it made it harder for her, who was Jason to stand in the way. He mustered up all the power he could and summoned the winds to blast Porphyrion off the edge of the cliff.

As the giant fell, screaming, Zeus pointed his lightning bolt. An arc of pure white heat vaporized Porphyrion in midair. His ashes drifted down in a gentle cloud, dusting the tops of the olive trees on the slopes of the Acropolis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swear I won't make you wait long. Part 2 will be up shortly.


	64. The Second Gigantomachy Pt. 2 (Percy LXIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Percy was still trying to process what had happened when Jason let out a shout and charged at Porphyrion.

A bloody nose. He really thought that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , he could stop that with a tissue, but apparently the Fates really hated him that much. It made him think that there might be a hundred things they could do differently, but the result would still be the same. Gaea would destroy the world and they would flee to Olympus. If such a small thing as the bloody nose couldn’t even be changed, could a huge event like winning the war early be changed?

There was no time to dwell on these thoughts now because all around him, his friends charged into battle. He raised Riptide high into the air and ran towards his father.

“Hello, Percy!” Poseidon yelled cheerfully as he dodged blow after blow from the twins Otis and Ephialtes. He struck with his trident. “Great day for a fight, isn’t it?”

“Totally,” Percy agreed. He slashed and blocked side by side with his father.

“Percy!”

Percy spun around and grinned. Bob was rushing towards him. “Bob! You made it!”

“Bob?” Poseidon asked incredulously. “Percy, is that Iape-”

“I am Bob!” Bob frowned. He swung at Ephialtes with his broom. “Bad giant!”

Off to one side, he could see Annabeth and Athena fighting Enceladus. He grinned proudly as Annabeth clearly had the upper hand.  _ That’s my Wise Girl _ , he thought before yelping and barely blocking the blow from Ephialtes.

A glow of light drew his attention away again, and he looked to see Will glowing brightly and letting loose arrow after arrow from a seemingly never empty quiver of arrows.

“Nico’s going to flip!” Percy shouted. “Will Solace actually hitting his target? I can’t believe he’s missing this!”

That would be a story to laugh about if they survived this. Nico had been so worried about Will being stuck in the Acropolis and unable to fight. Will had apparently received his father’s blessing though because every one of Will’s arrows aimed true.

Vaguely, he noticed Damasen fighting Orion with Will, Apollo, and Artemis.

“Percy!” Poseidon called.

He blinked and looked away from the son of Apollo to focus on the two giants before him. “SWEEP!” Bob yelled as he swung his broom.

“Alright, Bob!” Percy cheered, cutting at the twin giants’ legs, causing the twins to stumble. Poseidon’s trident morphed into a fire hose, and the god sprayed the giants out of the Parthenon with a high-powered blast in the shape of wild horses.

“Son!”

Percy followed his father towards an unusual sight. The old giant Thoon was getting bludgeoned to death by three old ladies. After his first run in with the Fates when he was twelve, Percy wasn’t eager to have a second run in. This sight only proved he  _ really _ did not want to get on the Fates’ bad side. There was nothing scarier than a gang of bat-wielding grannies.

Regardless, he dove into battle, providing the Fates with the required demigod ingredient to kill a giant.

When Thoon was nothing but dust, Percy looked up to see the only fight still going on was Jason and Zeus against Porphyrion, but that was soon to be over. He watched as Jason blasted the giant off the side of the cliff with the power of the winds, and Zeus casually tossed a lightning bolt down after him.

Annabeth came rushing up to him. Percy pulled her close. He could see the hope in her eyes.

_ We just have to make it back to Camp _ , Percy chanted.  _ Make it to Camp and defeat the army Gaea has waiting for us. Make it to Camp and defeat Gaea herself. Please, please, please. _

“This is it,” Annabeth whispered.

Percy kissed her forehead. “I know. We can do it. We can do it.”

The gods stood in a semi-circle as the demigods approached them. None of them seemed particularly joyful about their victory. Considering they still had to face Gaea, Percy wasn’t particularly joyful either.

Apollo and Artemis stood together in the shadow of a column, as if trying to hide. Hera and Poseidon were having an intense discussion with Demeter. Nike tried to put a golden laurel wreath on Hecate’s head, but the goddess of magic swatted it away. Hermes sneaked close to Athena, attempting to put his arm around her. Athena turned her aegis shield his way and Hermes scuffled off. The only Olympian who seemed in a good mood was Ares. He laughed and pantomimed gutting an enemy while Frank listened, his expression polite but queasy.

“And so it begins,” Zeus said quietly. “Gaea has risen. She must be stopped.” He looked at Bob and Damasen. “What are  _ they _ doing here?” he thundered.

“They’re our friends,” Percy said loudly. “Bob and Damasen helped Annabeth and I when we  _ fell into Tartarus _ .”

“ _ Bob _ ?” Zeus asked with a confused look.

“I am Bob,” Bob announced. “Bob is a good titan. Damasen is a good giant.”

“Damasen didn’t even fight Ares in the first giant war!” Annabeth protested. “That’s why Gaea and Tartarus locked him away.

Athena looked at Zeus. “My daughter has a point, father. The giant did not fight us, and today he even aided us against his brethren. But the titan is Iapetus. He fought  _ against _ us. He helped Kronos kill their own father-”

“And I told Percy to do the exact same thing to Tartarus,” Annabeth said quietly.

Percy swallowed as all the gods’ eyes turned towards him. His grip on Annabeth’s hand tightened. “Yeah. We cut up Tartarus just like Kronos cut up Ouranos. You're going to send us back to Tartarus for that?”

“It matters not,” Athena said steely. “He is a titan. Damasen is Ares’ opposite and thus is peaceful. Iapetus is not.”

“His name is Bob,” Percy said hotly. “He’s not Iapetus. I threw him into the Lethe, and gave him a new life. Yeah, he knows about his old life, but he likes his life as Bob better. He’s my friend-”

“Our friend,” Annabeth corrected.

“Our friend,” Percy agreed, “and if you think you can just throw him back into the pit, then I’ll go back and get him out.”

Will let out a sigh. “I suppose you’ll want Nico and I to get  _ you _ out? Again.”

Percy grinned. “Nah, I’d have a better plan next time. But would you? Because that was so cool.”

“Enough!” Zeus said loudly. “We will have this conversation later.” His eyes looked right at Percy and Annabeth. “Something I have not been made aware of until recently happened. Son of Poseidon! Daughter of Athena! You have come from a world where Gaea was not stopped. You intend to fix this, do you not?”

Percy’s mouth was dry. “Uh, yes. Yes, Lord Zeus,” he said, praying that showing respect for once would prevent him and Annabeth from getting vaporized for messing with time.

“Do not fail a second time,” Zeus warned. “I will not be as lenient to those who meddle in my father’s domain.”

Well, that sent warning bells up Percy’s brain. Kronos was the Titan of time. But why would he send them back in time, giving them the chance to defeat Gaea? Was it even Kronos who had caused the situation?

Zeus turned his attention back to the rest of the gods. “Brethren, we are healed, thanks to the work of these demigods. The Athena Parthenos, which once stood in this temple, stands at Camp Half-Blood. It has united our offspring, and thus our own essences. Greeks and Romans alike fought united.”

“There is still work to be done,” Hera interrupted. She spread her arms like she wanted a group hug. If she did, Percy was not about to give one to her. “But my heroes… you have triumphed over the giants as I knew you would. My plan succeeded beautifully.”

Zeus turned on his wife. Thunder shook the Acropolis. “Hera, do not dare take credit! You have caused at least as many problems as you’ve fixed!”

The queen of heaven blanched. “Husband, surely you see now – this was the only way.”

“There is never only one way!” Zeus bellowed. “That is why there are three Fates, not one. Is this not so?”

By the ruins of the giant king’s throne, the three old ladies silently bowed their heads in recognition.

“Please, husband.” Hera tried for a smile, but she was so clearly frightened that Percy almost felt sorry for her. Almost. “I only did what I –”

“Silence!” Zeus snapped. “You disobeyed my orders. Nevertheless… I recognize that you acted with honest intentions. The valour of these seven heroes has proven that you were not entirely without wisdom.”

Hera looked like she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth shut.

“Apollo, however…” Zeus glared into the shadows where the twins were standing. “My son, come here.”

Apollo inched forward like he was walking the plank. Percy was reminded of how strikingly similar Will and Apollo looked. In the jeans and Camp Half-Blood T-shirt he was wearing, Apollo could have passed as Will’s twin.

The Three Fates gathered around the god, circling him, their withered hands raised.

“Twice you have defied me,” Zeus said.

Apollo moistened his lips. “My – my lord –”

“You neglected your duties. You succumbed to flattery and vanity. You encouraged your descendant Octavian to follow his dangerous path, and you prematurely revealed a prophecy that may yet destroy us all.”

“But –”

“Enough!” Zeus boomed. “We will speak of your punishment later. For now, you will wait on

Olympus.” Zeus flicked his hand, and Apollo turned into a cloud of glitter. The Fates swirled around him, dissolving into air, and the glittery whirlwind shot into the sky.

Having seen it a second time, Percy felt that this was a little unfair. Just because Rachel had given the prophecy the second she became the new Oracle, didn’t mean Apollo prematurely revealed it. If Ella and the Sibylline books were any indication, most of the prophecies had been foretold long ago. The Romans knew about the Prophecy of Seven for way longer than the Greeks.

“-made a vow to honour all the gods,” Jason was saying. “I promised Kymopoleia that once this war is over none of the gods would be without shrines at the camps.”

Zeus scowled. “That’s fine. But… Kym who?”

Poseidon coughed into his fist. “She’s one of mine.”

“My point,” Jason said, “is that blaming each other isn’t going to solve anything. That’s how the  Romans and Greeks got divided in the first place.”

The air became dangerously ionized. Percy started to worry about Jason who just kept talking.

“Apollo wasn’t the problem. To punish him for Gaea waking is… unwise.”

“Unwise.” Zeus’s voice was almost a whisper. “Before the assembled gods, you would call me unwise.”

Annabeth jumped in. “Isn’t there more important things to be talking about?” she asked quickly. “Like for example, Gaea is awake and attacking Camp. We need to get there now.”

“I agree,” Artemis said, nodding at Annabeth. “If you are to stop Gaea, we need to get you back to Camp Half-Blood as quickly as possible.”

“I still can’t believe it was my stupid nosebleed,” Percy complained. “I made sure to bring tissues to stop the blood from dripping.”

“We’ll laugh about it later,” Annabeth assured him. “Lord Zeus, we’re going to need you to slap us back to Long Island.”

“Excuse me, slap?” Frank repeated, pale faced. “Please tell me that’s not as bad as it sounds.”

Annabeth ignored him. “The force involved will destroy the Argo II once we reach Camp, but we need to get back quick and fast.”

Leo straightened his tool belt. “The Argo II can make it. It only has to stay in one piece long enough to get us back home. Once there, we can abandon ship.”

“Dangerous,” warned Hephaestus. “Perhaps fatal.”

“The Argo II will not kill any of us,” Annabeth said seriously. “It will hold.”

The goddess Nike twirled a laurel wreath on her finger. “Victory is always dangerous. And it often requires sacrifice. Leo Valdez and I have discussed this.” She stared pointedly at Leo.

“Alright,” Percy said, trying to sound upbeat. “One last trip on the Argo II. Second last trip on the Argo II for me, actually.” He looked at Bob and Damasen. “Thanks. For… for everything. Just in case…”

Damasen looked sad. “No. Thank  _ you _ , Percy Jackson. For a second chance at living.”

“We will see each other soon,” Bob promised. “Good luck beating up Gaea!”

Percy grimaced. “I hope we see each other soon. And thanks. We’re going to need some luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you. Not a long wait.
> 
> Anyway, if you're wondering why Orion has Apollo, Artemis, Damasen, and Will up against him all at once... well, the Hunters of Artemis and the Amazons, who I think probably have just as much skill as Artemis or near her skill at least, they were dropping like flies in Blood of Olympus, so yeah, I gave them the friendly giant to help out. And obviously, Bob would help Percy!
> 
> One of the things I see often is how the Battle of Manhattan is like half a book while the final battle against Gaea and the Giants is five ish chapters. So I'm trying to draw it out a little more and give some other insight into the same thing but from a different character's perspective hence Percy's POV on what Jason's POV described last chapter. So hope you like this!


	65. Sabotage (Nico LXV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus and House of Hades

Lou Ellen and Cecil were all too happy to assist Nico in sabotaging the onagers. Both of them had really gotten into the spirit of sneaking around, and had dressed in all black.

When Nico shadow traveled them to the top of Half-Blood Hill, he couldn’t fight back a fond smile.

.

_ Nico was about to attempt another shadow travel jump when a voice behind him said, “Nico?” _

_ He spun, his sword instantly in his hand, and almost decapitated Will Solace. _

_ “Put that down!” Will hissed. “What are you doing here?” _

_ “Me?” Nico asked. “What are you doing? Getting yourselves killed?” _

_ Will scowled. “Hey, we’re scouting the enemy. We took precautions.” _

_ “You dressed in black,” Nico noted, “with the sun coming up. You painted your face but didn’t cover that mop of blond hair. You might as well be waving a yellow flag.” _

_ Will’s ears reddened. “Lou Ellen wrapped some Mist around us, too.” _

.

He had teased Will about that endlessly in the days after waking up on Olympus. Really, Will’s hair was a beacon of light itself.

.

“ _ Did Coach Hedge make it to camp?” _

_ Lou Ellen giggled nervously. “Did he ever.” _

_ Will elbowed her. “Yeah. Hedge is fine. He made it just in time for the baby’s birth.” _

_ “The baby!” Nico grinned. “Mellie and the kid are all right?” _

_ “Fine. A very cute little satyr boy.” Will shuddered. “But I delivered it. Have you ever delivered a baby?” _

_ “Um, no.” _

_ “I had to get some fresh air. That’s why I volunteered for this mission. Gods of Olympus, my hands are still shaking. See?” He took Nico’s hand, which sent an electric current down Nico’s spine. He quickly withdrew. _

.

Will’s developed fear of delivering children was a popular subject too. Percy and Annabeth had constantly joked that they were coming to Will when they decided to have a baby.

Nico would usually add in that he could put in a good word about Will with the mortal survivors.

.

_ “Whatever,” he snapped. “We don’t have time for chitchat. The Romans are attacking at dawn and I’ve got to –” _

_ “We know,” Will said. “But, if you’re planning to shadow-travel to that command tent, forget it.” _

_ Nico glared at him. “Excuse me?” _

_ “Coach Hedge told me all about your shadow-travel. You can’t try that again.” _

_ “I just did try it again, Solace. I’m fine.” _

_ “No, you’re not. I’m a healer. I could feel the darkness in your hand as soon as I touched it. Even if you made it to that tent, you’d be in no shape to fight. But you wouldn’t make it. One more slip, and you won’t come back. You are not shadow-travelling. Doctor’s orders.” _

_ “The camp is about to be destroyed –” _

_ “And we’ll stop the Romans,” Will said. “But we’ll do it our way. Lou Ellen will control the Mist. We’ll sneak around, do as much damage as we can to those onagers. But no shadow-travel.” _

_ “But –” _

_ “No.” _

_ Nico sighed in exasperation. “Whatever,” Nico said. “But we have to hurry. And you’ll follow my lead.” _

_ “Fine,” Will said. “Just don’t ask me to deliver any more satyr babies and we’ll get along great.” _

.

“What’s up with the smiles, di Angelo?” Cecil asked, waving a hand in front of Nico’s face.

“Just remembering stuff,” Nico answered casually. “You know, before we all die.”

Lou Ellen frowned. “You’re a ray of sunshine.”

“No, I just know that when I die, I have a nice room in my father’s palace waiting for me. You guys all get to live in eternal overcrowding,” Nico said matter-of-factly. “Although, I would really prefer to live through this. Got a lot of things unsaid.” He gestured for them to stop.

The nearest onager was a hundred yards downhill, encircled in spiked trenches and guarded by a dozen monsters. The machine was primed, ready to fire. Its huge sling cupped a projectile the size of a Honda Civic, glowing with flecks of gold.

“What do we do?” Cecil whispered.

Nico squinted to find the other onagers. “I’ll shadow travel us to each one. Cecil, you need to change the trajectory so they all hit each other. The higher up the better. Anything in the blast zone will be annihilated.”

Cecil grinned. “Oh, I like the way you think.”

“Lou Ellen, you’ll have to use the Mist to disguise us,” Nico added. “Hopefully, the monsters won’t notice us. Let’s go.”

They made their way down towards the first onager. Cecil went to work while Nico stood guard over him and Lou Ellen.

“All right,” Cecil announced. “Let’s move.”

They shuffled across the hillside towards the next onager. Nico crossed his fingers. Lou Ellen’s Mist held. He breathed a sigh of relief. He snorted, remembering how Will had taken off and used the six Romans chasing him as a distraction.

“What’s so funny?” Lou Ellen asked.

“I think that if Will was here, and the Mist failed, he would definitely run off as a distraction. A stupid diversion, but…” he trailed off.

“Aww, you miss him,” Lou Ellen cooed. “When are you asking him out?”

Nico wanted to slap a hand over his forehead. “I swear, you and Percy.”

“Can we stop chatting about Nico and Will, and go to the next deadly catapult,” Cecil asked, rolling his eyes. “I’m done with this one.”

They all moved towards the third siege machine. Nico hoped they could sneak up on the third siege machine. One more onager redirected and they might stand a chance. His luck seemed to hold, because in no time, they were moving towards a fourth onager. Nico offered a silent prayer of thanks to Tyche. When they moved to the fifth onager without any issues, Nico offered a silent prayer of thanks to Fortuna. When they arrived at the  _ sixth _ onager, Nico decided to offer a sacrifice to both Tyche and Fortuna the next time he ate at Camp Half-Blood. Assuming there still was a Camp Half-Blood after the war.

“Don’t say a word about this,” Nico warned Cecil and Lou Ellen after he shadow traveled them back into the safety of the Camp. “I don’t know who’s loyal to Octavian here.”

“How did you know about the onangers?” Cecil asked curiously.

Nico shrugged. “Percy told me. In a dream. Clovis connected us.” He glanced towards the Big House. “I have to go. Final meeting before the battle.”

“Shoot. Is that now?” Lou Ellen cursed. “Cecil, can you make sure my siblings are working on the pig balls? I meant to oversee it, but-”

“I got it,” Cecil promised. “Go plan how we’re going to kick Gaea’s dirt.”

.

“The god Apollo has shown me the future-”

“No, he hasn’t,” Nico snapped in annoyance. “Apollo hasn’t shown anyone the future. The power of the prophecy isn’t working. Now shut up and let the adults talk!”

Everyone stared at him in shock.

Octavian smirked. “The god told me personally that I would be remembered as the savior of Rome. I will lead the legion to victory.”

“Shut. Up,” Nico said through gritted teeth. “I have been itching to run you through with my sword ever since I met you. We’re going to be in a big fight with Gaea and a bunch of monsters in a little bit. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you ended up dead?”

Octavian sputtered. “How dare you! I-”

“Enough!” Reyna shouted. She leveled a glare at Nico and Octavian. “Let’s get through this last meeting. Then the battle. After that, I don’t care if you want to fight.”

“Thank you, Reyna,” Chiron said, giving Nico a disapproving look. “Clarisse? Status on the defenses?”

“Solid and holding,” Clarisse confirmed. “I’ve got a pretty solid rotation on patrol. Not one inch of our wall that isn’t defended. But the number of monsters tripled overnight. Even I don’t like those odds.”

“I can increase our numbers,” Nico said. He looked at Reyna. “The scepter of Diocletian. It’ll raise an army of dead Roman soldiers. I need a Roman officer to command them, but it should be able to give us an extra boost.”

Kayla blinked. “When did you get  _ that _ ?” she demanded. “That sounds super useful. Did your father give it to you?”

Nico could feel his face heating up. “Uh, no. My… my dad didn’t give it to me. Jason and I stopped to find it in Croatia when we left a note for Reyna so she could find us.” He looked at the ping pong table in front of him. “I’ve only used it once when Frank led them in the House of Hades, but it really helped. We were surrounded by monsters.

Reyna set her shoulders. “Excellent. I can command them if you raise them.”

If he wasn’t so tuned into his friends’ life forces, he might have missed it. A slight pulse in his gut and under his feet through the Earth.

“What?” Lou Ellen asked worriedly. “Nico, what happened?”

His face must have gone paler than normal or slight surprise showed on his face. Nico bit his lip and looked up. “Annabeth’s blood was spilled. Gaea just needs someone else, a male demigod’s blood now. She’s… she’s alive. I think it was just a small cut, but Gaea’s going to wake up any second now. We have to go.”

His words jolted them into motion. Clarisse ran from the room and started shouting orders for the campers to put on their armor and arm themselves. Lou Ellen took off to her cabin muttering, “I hope they made enough pig balls,” under her breath. Malcolm quickly handed out directions to each head counselor, presumably the battle plans for each cabin.

“Raise the army once we are outside,” Reyna told Nico. “Are you sure you’re up for it? You’ve only been awake for five days.”

Nico gave her a wry grin. “I’m great. I fought under less ideal conditions before.” He and Reyna left the Big House and moved towards the wall.

Nico raised Diocletian’s scepter. It emitted a purple glow. Suddenly there were ghosts dressed in full battle gear. They took on a physical form, like walking corpses.

“Form ranks!” Reyna shouted. “Cohorts, lock shields!”

All around them, the legion of the dead moved into some type of battle formation. Nico hoped this was the effect Reyna was going for. She looked pleased, so that was good.

“Legion, agmen formate!” Reyna yelled.

Instantly, every dead legionnaire drew his sword and raised his shield. They scrambled towards Reyna’s position until they stood shoulder to shoulder with the comrades, arranging themselves in a square formation.

“Archers!” Reyna commanded. “Follow the children of Apollo.”

The ghostly archers marched over to where Kayla, Austin, and the Greek and Roman children of Apollo stood waiting. Thalia and her Hunters made their way over.

Nico lifted the scepter of Diocletian again. It glowed even darker purple. More ghostly Romans seeped up from the ground to join their numbers.

“Holy Hades,” Lou Ellen whistled as she rushed past. “Nice work, Nico!” She handed the archers two large bags with what Nico could only assume were pig balls for them to shoot into the enemy lines.

Then it came. Nico felt the sound before he heard it – thunk-thunk-thunk reverberating through the earth, like the massive gears of a drawbridge. All the onagers fired at once, and six golden comets billowed into the sky.

Shouts of surprise and fear rang out. But the comets veered off course justas they had before. The fireballs didn’t collide directly. They didn’t need to. As soon as the missiles got close to one another, all six warheads detonated in midair, spraying a dome of gold and fire that sucked the oxygen right out of the sky.

The heat stung Nico’s face. The grass hissed. The tops of the trees steamed. The section of wall right under the explosion had been damaged. There was definitely enough room for the monster army outside to charge into the borders, but at least they had kept it contained.

“Testudo formation!” Reyna called to the dead warriors. “Advance!”

The undead legion charged towards the gap in the wall to meet the monster army.

Reyna turned to address the campers. “Romans! Today we stand together with our Greek brethren against Gaea and her army! Ave Roma!”

“Ave Roma!” the Roman’s shouted back.

Nico grinned at the sight. Another pulse ran through his body. The grin slipped from his face.

“No!” Nico gasped.

_ YOU WILL DIE. _

The voice shook the earth. Nico’s feeling of peace and safety instantly vanished. Wind swept across the hillside. The ground itself became fluid and sticky, the grass pulling at Nico’s boots.

_ A FUTILE GESTURE. _

Nico felt as if he was standing on the goddess’s throat – as if the entire length of Long Island resonated with her vocal cords.

_ BUT, IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, YOU MAY DIE TOGETHER. _

“CLOSE RANKS!” Reyna yelled.

The Greeks and Romans moved together, standing shoulder to shoulder as all around them the earth shook. The Athena Parthenos radiated power. Nico could feel it blanketing them.

He swallowed and drew his Stygian ice sword.  _ It won’t be like last time. Please, please, please, let us win today _ .

Camp Half-Blood had never felt like Nico’s home, but he had been intending to stay once the war with Gaea was won. After it’s destruction, he had found himself wishing for another chance to make it his home. Now in the past with his second chance, he had made the Camp his home. But right now, they stood on enemy ground. Because Gaea was the earth, and the earth was awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh bum bum buhhhh!
> 
> Sorry about the late update. I meant to post this yesterday. Got sidetracked. Anyway, here's the beginning of the battle against Gaea.


	66. Fight for Camp (Percy LXVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Percy followed Frank and Hazel out of the hatch, holding onto the guide rope.

“Go!” Leo yelled. “Go, go, go!”

“This is insane,” Will gasped.

Annabeth shot him a grimace. “Unfortunately, all we do is insane stuff. Percy, are you sure about this?”

“Jason can only take Piper, so that leaves Frank to take Hazel on his back and you and Will in his claws,” Percy yelled over the wind. “I’ll be fine! I jumped off the top of the Arc. How different could this be?”

“GO!” Leo shouted again. For once, Leo’s tone was deadly serious.

Frank changed form. Instead of a dazed demigod, he was now a dazed grey dragon. Hazel climbed onto his neck. Frank grabbed Will and Annabeth in his front claws, then spread his wings and soared away.

Jason held Piper by the waist, ready to fly. He glanced at Percy. “You’re sure?”

“Positive!” Percy called. “Go!”

Jason and Piper gave Leo one last look before taking off.

“See you on the other side!” Percy screamed as he took a running leap off the side of the Argo II. “Ahhhrrgggg!” he yelped as he plummeted.

Below him was a vast army of monsters spread across the hills. They were already fighting. Percy swore he could see an undead warrior or two sprinkled around. He tore his gaze away and focused on the body of water off to one side. Percy squeezed his eyes shut and reached for the water.

There was a tug in his gut and then he was surrounded by water. He opened his eyes to see the water directing him down towards the lake. Immediately, he felt more awake than ever. The water revitalized him and he shot down as fast as he could.

Once he hit the water, he pushed himself to the surface.

“One hurricane coming up,” Percy muttered. He summoned the water to churn around him and lift himself up on a platform of water. He surged towards the break in the wall surrounding Camp Half-Blood and yelled defiantly as he swept dozens of monsters out to sea and swung furiously with Riptide. The hurricane dissipated as he launched himself within the borders.

“Glad to see you could make it, nosebleed.”

Percy whirled around. He grinned at Nico di Angelo. “Of course I came to save the day.”

“Still not my type,” Nico rolled his eyes. He lifted a glowing purple scepter and more dead warriors rose up from the ground. “Where’s Will?”

“Frank had him and Annabeth,” Percy answered. He looked around. Frank was heading for Reyna, but Annabeth and Will were nowhere to be seen. “Where’s the archers? Will’s probably with them.”

Nico cut down a two-headed man. “Do I look like I can leave? I have to keep summoning the dead.”

“You say that like it’s just another chore,” Percy shot back, turning a group of telkhines to monster dust.

“I got this handled,” Nico said without looking at Percy. “Go find the others.”

For the first time, Percy noted that Nico was the only living person near him. He was surrounded by an army of the dead that Reyna and Frank must be commanding. Percy nodded and jogged off to the back of the army when he was met with a loud cheer.

“Percy!”

He glanced up to see Jason and Piper soaring down towards him. They landed, swords drawn.

“About time!” Reyna called. “Glad you could join us!”

Piper grinned. “We had some giants to kill!”

“Excellent!” Reyna returned the smile. “Nico’s dead warriors have been holding the hole in the wall, but I was just about to give the order to charge through. Want to help yourself to some barbarians?”

“Of course!” Piper said. “Where’s Annabeth?”

“Here!” Annabeth said breathlessly. “I left Will with the Apollo kids and Hunters. What’s the plan?”

Reyna gave her a wide smile. “Just in time, Annabeth,” she smirked. “Legion, cuneum formate!” Reyna yelled. “Advance!”

The undead moved forward through the wall as a cheer rose up from the Roman troops.

Percy grinned. “Greek!” he shouted. “Let’s fight stuff!” He laughed as the Greek campers yelled like banshees and charged.

The Greeks and Romans slowly pushed back the enemies. Wild centaurs toppled. Wolf-headed men howled as they were cut to ashes. More monsters kept appearing – karpoi grain spirits swirling out of the grass, gryphons diving from the sky, lumpy clay humanoids that made Percy think of evil Play-Doh men.

Nico was waiting for them. He effortlessly slew monster after monster.

“They’re ghosts with earthen shells!” he warned. “Don’t let them hit you!”

“How stupid do you think I am?” Percy called back.

Nico scoffed. “We’re in the middle of the biggest fight in history and all you want to do is chit chat?” he snapped.

“Takes my mind off the doom and gloom reality that we’ll all die!” Percy shrugged. He clashed swords with Jason as they took down a cyclops together. “Nice, bro!”

“You too, bro!”

A moment later, a squad of Hermes campers gathered around them for no apparent reason.

Connor Stoll grinned. “What’s up, Grace? Hey, Percy. Long time no see.”

“I’m good,” Jason said. “You?”

Connor dodged an ogre club and stabbed a grain spirit, which exploded in a cloud of wheat. “Yeah, can’t complain. Nice day for it.”

“Hi, Connor,” Percy greeted.

Monster dust exploded in front of them. Nico was standing in the middle.

“You’re welcome,” he said flatly before rushing off, disappearing into the fray.

Reyna yelled, “Eiaculare flammas!” and a wave of flaming arrows arced over the legion’s shield wall, destroying a platoon of ogres. The Roman ranks moved forward, impaling centaurs and trampling wounded ogres under their bronze-tipped boots.

Something whizzed past Percy. He looked up to see Hazel riding Arion through the crowd of monsters, swinging her spatha.

“Yeah, Hazel!” Percy whooped. He jumped as tendrils of lightning swept across the enemy, turning several hundred monsters to toast. “I love that eagle!” Percy shouted. He frowned.  _ Where was Gaea? _

Under his feet, the earth rippled as if Half-Blood Hill had become a giant water mattress. Demigods fell. Ogres slipped. Centaurs charged face-first into the grass.

_ AWAKE _ , a voice boomed all around them.

A hundred yards away, at the crest of the next hill, the grass and soil swirled upward like the point of a massive drill. The column of earth thickened into the twenty-foot-tall figure of a woman – her dress woven from blades of grass, her skin as white as quartz, her hair brown and tangled like tree roots. Gaea.

“Little fools.” Gaea the Earth Mother opened her pure green eyes. “The paltry magic of your statue cannot contain me.”

Fear washed over the demigod army.

“Stand fast!” Piper shouted, her charmspeak clear and loud. “Greeks and Romans, we can fight her together!”

Gaea laughed. She spread her arms and the earth bent towards her – trees tilting, bedrock groaning, soil rippling in waves. Monsters and demigods alike started to sink into the ground. One of the onagers capsized and disappeared into the side of the hill.

“The whole earth is my body,” Gaea boomed. “How would you fight the goddess of –”

FOOOOMP! In a flash of bronze, Gaia was swept off the hillside, snarled in the claws of a fifty-ton metal dragon. Festus, reborn, rose into the sky on gleaming wings, spewing fire from his maw triumphantly. As he ascended, the rider on his back got smaller and more difficult to discern, but Leo’s grin was unmistakable.

“Pipes! Jason!” he shouted down. “You coming? The fight is up here!”

Percy nodded at Jason. “Go!” he yelled. “This is it! You have to stop her now!”

Jason and Piper exchanged a worried look. Then Jason wrapped an arm around Piper and they shot into the sky after Leo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update of today since I missed yesterday.
> 
> Also, status update! As of right now, this story is going to be 83 Chapters long. I'm still not 100% sold on some parts so that might change if I make changes to the story. But, yeah. Got just under 20 more chapters for you.


	67. Gaea (Jason LXVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Jason and Piper spiralled upward on the wind.

“Percy and Annabeth know what they’re doing,” Piper murmured like a chant. “We got the cure, and they know what to do with it. They know how to end this.”

Did they though? According to Percy and Annabeth, Gaea had finally been defeated when the newly resurrected Leo flamed up and Thalia summoned a lightning bolt that struck Leo while he was dragging Gaea into the air.

Besides, neither of the two time travelers had deemed it necessary to inform Jason or Piper of the actual plan. The nod of confirmation that Percy had given them before they took off after Leo was as close to telling a plan as they had gotten so far.

As they ascended, Jason gathered the wind and clouds around him. The sky responded with frightening speed. Soon they were in the eye of a maelstrom. Lightning burned his eyes. Thunder made his teeth vibrate.

Directly above them, Festus grappled with the earth goddess. Gaia kept disintegrating, trying to trickle back to the ground, but the winds kept her aloft. Festus sprayed her with flames, which seemed to force her into solid form. Meanwhile, from Festus’s back, Leo blasted the goddess with flames of his own and hurled insults. “Potty Sludge! Dirt Face! THIS IS FOR MY MOTHER, ESPERANZA VALDEZ!” His whole body was wreathed in fire. Rain hung in the stormy air, but it only sizzled and steamed around him.

Jason zoomed towards them.

Gaia turned into loose white sand, but Jason summoned a squadron of venti who churned around her, constraining her in a cocoon of wind. Gaia fought back. When she wasn’t disintegrating, she lashed out with shrapnel blasts of stone and soil that Jason barely deflected. Stoking the storm, containing Gaia, keeping himself and Piper aloft… Jason had never done anything so difficult. He felt like he was covered in lead weights, trying to swim with only his legs while holding a car over his head. But he had to keep Gaia off the ground.

Both times Leo attempted to fight Gaea in the previous timeline he had kept her airborne. Jason didn’t understand it until recently. Percy and Annabeth spoke of how they cut up Tartarus, but it wouldn’t last long because he was still in his realm. Then with Kym at the bottom of the sea she had hinted at the same thing. Long ago, Ouranos the sky god had been tricked down to the earth by Gaia and the Titans. They’d held him on the ground so he couldn’t escape and, with his powers weakened from being so far from his home territory, they’d been able to cut him apart. It wouldn’t last long on Tartarus because he was still in Tartarus when Percy destroyed him, but if Jason could keep Gaea in the air, keep her off the Earth, they might stand a chance to destroy her once and for all.

At least for another millenia.

Together they rose. Festus creaked and groaned with the effort, but he continued to gain altitude. Jason still didn’t understand how Leo had managed to remake the dragon. Then he recalled all the hours Leo had spent working inside the hull over the last few weeks. Leo must have been planning this all along and building a new body for Festus within the framework of the ship.

His stomach churned. Percy and Annabeth had spent more time with Leo the past few weeks than they ever had before on the quest. Had they  _ told _ Leo to do this? Why? Why hadn’t they said anything else? They had said in the beginning that Leo died in the fight against Gaea, but came back to life with the Physician’s cure. A sickening feeling took hold. Had Percy and Annabeth orchestrated Leo’s death with Leo? Jason looked up at his friend.

He must have known exactly what was going to happen. How else could he have known the Argo II would eventually fall apart? Or that he had to rebuild Festus?

“YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!” Gaia crumbled to sand, only to get blasted by more flames. Her body melted into a lump of glass, shattered, then re-formed again as human. “I AM ETERNAL!”

“Eternally annoying!” Leo yelled, and he urged Festus higher.

Jason and Piper rose with them.

“Get me closer,” Piper urged. “I need to be next to her.”

“What do you mean closer?” Jason shouted. “The flames and the shrapnel-”

Piper gave him a small smile. “I know. I have to talk to her, Jason. Get closer.”

Jason moved in until they were right next to Gaia. The winds encased the goddess, keeping her solid, but it was all Jason could do to contain her blasts of sand and soil. Her eyes were solid green, like all nature had been condensed into a few spoonfuls of organic matter.

“FOOLISH CHILDREN!” Her face contorted with miniature earthquakes and mudslides.

“You are so weary,” Piper told the goddess, her voice radiating kindness and sympathy. “Aeons of pain and disappointment weigh on you.”

“SILENCE!”

The force of Gaia’s anger was so great that Jason momentarily lost control of the wind. He would’ve dropped into free fall, but Festus caught him and Piper in his other huge claw. 

Amazingly, Piper kept her focus. “Millennia of sorrow,” she told Gaia. “Your husband Ouranos was abusive. Your grandchildren the gods overthrew your beloved children the Titans. Your other children, the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones, were thrown into Tartarus. You are so tired of heartache.”

“LIES!” Gaia crumbled into a tornado of soil and grass, but her essence seemed to churn more sluggishly.

If they gained any more altitude, the air would be too thin to breathe. Jason would be too weak to control it. Piper’s talk of exhaustion affected him, too, sapping his strength, making his body feel heavy.

“What you want,” Piper continued, “more than victory, more than revenge… you want rest. You are so weary, so incomprehensibly tired of the ungrateful mortals and immortals.”

“I – YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR ME – YOU CANNOT –”

“You want one thing,” Piper said soothingly, her voice resonating through Jason’s bones. “One word. You want permission to close your eyes and forget your troubles. You – want – SLEEP.”

Gaia solidified into human form. Her head lolled, her eyes closed, and she went limp in Festus’s claw. Unfortunately, Jason started to black out, too. The wind was dying. The storm dissipated. Dark spots danced in his eyes.

“Leo!” Piper gasped for breath. “We only have a few seconds. My charmspeak won’t –”

“I know!” Leo looked like he was made of fire. Flames rippled beneath his skin, illuminating his skull. Festus steamed and glowed, his claws burning through Jason’s shirt. “I can’t contain the fire much longer. I’ll vaporize her. Don’t worry. But you guys need to leave.”

“No!” Jason said. “Leo, we can do this some other way! Percy and Annabeth must have told you some other way!”

Leo gave him a wry grin. “They told me a lot. And it’s cool. We have a plan. You gotta trust me, and we gotta get this show on the road because I have one super hot immortal girl waiting for the McShizzle to return.” Leo grinned, which was unnerving in the flames, his teeth like molten silver ingots. "I told you I had a plan. When are you going to trust me? And by the way – I love you guys.”

Festus’s claw opened, and Jason and Piper fell. Jason had no strength to stop it. He held on to Piper as she cried Leo’s name, and they plummeted earthwards.

Festus became an indistinct ball of fire in the sky – a second sun – growing smaller and hotter.

Then, in the corner of Jason’s eye, a blazing comet streaked upward from the ground with a high-pitched, almost human scream. Just before Jason blacked out, the comet intercepted the ball of fire above them. The explosion turned the entire sky gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I evilly leaving you with this one chapter until tomorrow? Yes. Don't worry, there's only a few of these chapters that leave ya hanging (though not literally because I'm not THAT evil).
> 
> Please enjoy!


	68. Final Decision (Leo LXVIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Leo couldn’t help but let out a whoop as he rode out of the ruins of the Argo II on Festus’ back.

“Oh, yeah!” he cheered. “Who’s the awesome McShizzle, baby?” His eyes narrowed on the fight below him. “Okay, buddy. One earth goddess coming right up.”

They soared down towards the fight where Leo could make out monsters and demigods alike struggling to escape the earth that was pulling them in. In the middle of it all was Gaea in all her terrible glory. Leo aimed Festus towards her.

“-ole earth is my body,” Gaia boomed. “How would you fight the goddess of –”

FOOOOMP! Festus snatched the earth goddess up in his claws.

Leo grinned. “Pipes! Jason!” he shouted down. “You coming? The fight is up here!” He shot up into the sky.

.

_ “What do I do now?” _

_ Percy and Annabeth looked up at Leo in confusion. _

_ Leo cleared his throat. “I rebuilt Festus. What do I do when I have Gaea in the air? How does this succeed?” _

_ Annabeth looked down. “I hate this.” _

_ “Me too.” _

_ “Jason and Piper are going to be with you,” she finally said. “Once you get Gaea in the air, call them up. Jason can keep Gaea from falling back to the earth. Piper’s going to charmspeak Gaea.” _

_ “And then what?” Leo asked. _

_ Percy gave Leo an apologetic look. “Your fire power alone won’t be enough. But you have to give it everything you got. As for the rest… well, we’ll figure something out.” _

_ “In the next few hours we have before we get to the Acropolis?” Leo asked sarcastically. “Fat chance that’ll happen, Percy. I don’t…” he trailed off. “I don’t wanna die twice. I… I think I’m okay with dying once with the Physician’s cure as my resurrection plan, but I don’t want to die if it means Gaea doesn’t get defeated now.” _

_ “We  _ will _ figure it out, Leo,” Annabeth said firmly. “There’s onagers at Camp right now. The enemy's onagers, but if we can aim for you and Festus, that might be enough to destroy Gaea. More than enough really. Imperial gold is highly explosive according to Frank, Hazel, and Jason.” _

_ Leo’s blood chilled. He always feared fire ever since his mother’s death. His powers scared him, and that was the way he would die. In a fiery explosion. It almost felt poetic. The same fate that befell his mother would befall him. At least temporarily. _

_ “Hestia told you to remember her,” Percy said hesitantly. “You know, when you ‘face your final decision’ and all that. When she told me that, I didn’t understand it. I figured it out in the end. I gave her Pandora’s Box. That was my decision. But I can’t help but think that she’s going to have something to do with this. She tends to the fire. I can’t see her sending a demigod up in flames, but-” _

_ “I got it,” Leo cut him off. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. I think I know what she meant.” _

.

Leo swallowed back his fear as he rose higher and higher.

Down below, Jason and Piper spiralled upward on the wind. As they ascended, Jason gathered the wind and clouds around him. The sky responded with frightening speed. Soon his friends were in the eye of a maelstrom.

Leo and Festus blasted Gaea with flames. “Potty Sludge! Dirt Face! THIS IS FOR MY MOTHER, ESPERANZA VALDEZ!”

Then he was encompassed in flames. He pulled all the good memories. All the countless hours spent in his mother’s workshop. The quest to free Hera with Jason and Piper. Those months at Camp Half-Blood that were pretty much just focused on building the giant warship that he had called home the past month and a half. All the good times he shared with the rest of the Seven, Nico, and Will. Even when the time traveling son of Hades really ticked him off with his constant omitting of events that transpired. He closed his eyes and Jason and Piper’s smiling faced beamed back at him. They disappeared and Calypso’s face replaced them. She smiled as if to say,  _ What’s taking so long? I’m waiting _ .

He opened his eyes to see Jason zooming up to Festus, Piper in his arms.

“YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!” Gaia crumbled to sand, only to get blasted by more flames. Her body melted into a lump of glass, shattered, then re-formed again as human. “I AM ETERNAL!”

“Eternally annoying!” Leo yelled. “Come on, Festus! Higher!”

He looked down to see Jason hovering next to Gaea.

“FOOLISH CHILDREN!” Her face contorted with miniature earthquakes and mudslides.

“You are so weary,” Piper told the goddess, her voice radiating kindness and sympathy. “Aeons of pain and disappointment weigh on you.”

“SILENCE!”

Leo forced himself not to listen to both Piper  _ or _ Gaea. Piper’s charmspeak was making him drowsy, and his flames dimmed slightly before he renewed his focus. Gaea’s anger was just powerful and startling.

He closed his eyes.  _ Lady Hestia, _ he prayed.  _ You told me to remember you when I make my final decision. Is this it? My decision of how Gaea will die today? How  _ I _ will die today? _

A young girl flickered in the flames surrounding Leo. She smiled at him. “Hello, Leo Valdez.”

“The extra firepower I need,” Leo whispered. “Is that what you will provide?”

Hestia’s face remained blank. “I will not set you on fire if that is what you are asking, Leo Valdez. I am the goddess of the home, hearth, and family. It is not for you to decide when Gaea must die. That job lies in the hands of the Fates. But you may choose to destroy her today if you wish.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Leo said desperately. “I have to stop Gaea today! I’m supposed to die and go help Calypso escape Ogygia! You have to help me! Please!”

Hestia regarded him with a sad look. “As I said. I am the goddess of the home, hearth, and family. If you want to be set on fire that burns hot enough to destroy Gaea, you would have gone to Ares or Hephaestus. I told you that you would need to remember me when you make your final decision, not that you had to call on me. Why did you call on me, Leo Valdez? You know the answer.”

Leo held her gaze. “Because I’m scared. I’m scared that this won’t work and that I’ll leave my friends - my family - alone to fight Gaea for months like they did in the time Percy, Annabeth, and Nico come from. I’m scared that I won’t be able to save them. I’m scared I won’t make it back to Calypso. I’m scared that in the end everything we’ve done until today won’t matter.” His eyes stung. “Camp Half-Blood was my first real home in a long time. Then I found another home with the Seven on the Argo II. And they became my family. That’s why I called you. You have to make sure my family is safe. That they win.”

Hestia smiled and placed a hand over his heart. “No one makes time for family anymore,” she said. “Percy and Nico were the first demigods to talk to me in a long time. They value family. Their friends are no different.”

A blossom of warmth spread from where her hand was over Leo’s heart. He felt his flames blaze brighter.

“I bless your family today, Leo Valdez,” Hestia said, voice growing fainter as she started to disappear. “Be strong. Be brave.”

Hestia was gone, but the warmth from her touch was still there.

“I – YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR ME – YOU CANNOT –” Gaea’s voice startled Leo.

“You want one thing,” Piper said soothingly. “One word. You want permission to close your eyes and forget your troubles. You – want – SLEEP.”

Gaia solidified into human form. Her head lolled, her eyes closed, and she went limp in Festus’s claw. That’s when Leo noticed the storm Jason had summoned was dying. Piper’s charmspeak worked a little too well if Jason was starting to blackout.

“Leo!” Piper gasped for breath. “We only have a few seconds. My charmspeak won’t –”

“I know!”

Leo felt like he was made of fire. Flames rippled beneath his skin and across his whole body. Festus steamed and glowed as well. “I can’t contain the fire much longer. I’ll vaporize her. Don’t worry. But you guys need to leave.”

“No!” Jason said. “Leo, we can do this some other way! Percy and Annabeth must have told you some other way!”

Leo gave him a wry grin. “They told me a lot. And it’s cool. We have a plan. You gotta trust me, and we gotta get this show on the road because I have one super hot immortal girl waiting for the McShizzle to return.” Leo grinned, which was unnerving in the flames, his teeth like molten silver ingots. “I told you I had a plan. When are you going to trust me? And by the way – I love you guys.” He patted Festus.

Festus’s claw opened, and Jason and Piper fell.

“I’m ready,” Leo said determinedly.

A blazing comet streaked towards him. Leo glared at the fiery ball and forced his own fire to blaze even brighter. The comet came closer and closer.

_ BOOM! _

The last thing Leo saw was an explosion of gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, I wish we had gotten Leo's perspective of his death scene. I dunno, I think that would have been cool and powerful.
> 
> Anyway, I tried my hand at it.
> 
> Hestia is definitely in the know guys. Like, she KNEW exactly what "a hero's soul cursed blade shall reap" meant. I just reread the passage where she gives Percy the vision of Luke giving Annabeth the dagger. Hestia definitely knew and you can't tell me otherwise. So based on that, it stands to reason that she knows how this ends too.
> 
> Love you all even though I'm making you suffer through the exact same thing as last chapter just with a different perspective. XOXO


	69. Some Deaths (Nico LXIX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Nico really wasn’t sure what he expected. Octavian was clearly just as anti-Greek as he was last time, and no amount of proof that the Greeks were allies could convince him. But some small part of him hoped that he wouldn’t have to deal with the idiot.

Will didn’t come get him like last time. No, Nico saw Octavian slipping through the various fights towards the abandoned onagers Nico, Cecil, and Lou Ellen had sabotaged earlier that morning.

Nico growled, raised the scepter of Diocletian to summon another batch of the dead before taking off after Octavian.

He plunged into the chaos. He passed Tyson and his Cyclopes, who were bellowing, “Bad dog! Bad dog!” as they bashed the heads of the cynocephali. Grover Underwood and a team of satyrs danced around with their panpipes, playing harmonies so dissonant that the earthen-shelled ghosts cracked apart. Travis Stoll ran past, arguing with his brother. “What do you mean we set the landmines on the wrong hill?”

Nico was halfway to Octavian when the ground trembled under his feet. Like everyone else – monster and demigod alike – he froze in horror and watched as the whirling column of earth erupted from the top of the next hill, and Gaia appeared in all her glory.

Even though he had been expecting it at some point, seeing Gaea brought back lots of memories.

Nico clenched his fists as he tried to block out the memories of Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo’s deaths.  _ They won’t die this time _ , he promised himself. He grinned as Leo swooped down on Festus and snatched the earth goddess away with a FOOOOMP!

Shaking his head, Nico sprinted across the battlefield towards Octavian.

Octavian was furiously readjusting the onager’s targeting levers. The throwing arm was already primed with a full payload of Imperial gold and explosives. The augur rushed about, tripping over gears and anchor spikes, fumbling with the ropes. Every so often he glanced up at Festus the dragon.

“Octavian!” Nico yelled.

The augur spun, then backed up against the huge sphere of ammunition. His fine purple robes snagged on the trigger rope, but Octavian didn’t notice. Fumes from the payload curled about him as if drawn to the Imperial gold jewellery around his arms and neck, the golden wreath in his hair.

“Oh, I see!” Octavian’s laughter was brittle and quite insane. “Trying to steal my glory, eh? No, no, son of Pluto. I am the saviour of Rome. I was promised!”

“Get away from the onager,” Nico said lowly.

“Of course not! I will shoot Gaia down with this machine!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Jason Grace rocket into the sky with Piper in his arms,

flying straight towards Festus. Around the son of Jupiter, storm clouds gathered, swirling into a hurricane. Thunder boomed.

“You see?” Octavian cried. The gold on his body was definitely smoking now, attracted to the catapult’s payload like iron to a giant magnet. “The gods approve of my actions!”

Nico couldn’t care less if Octavian died. But Jason and Piper were up there, and Leo was too. If Octavian could line up the aim to actually hit Leo and Festus, that might destroy Gaea, but there was no way to know for sure and he didn’t know if Percy or Annabeth had come up with a plan with Leo in Nico’s absence.

“Jason is making that storm,” Nico said. “If you fire the onager, you’ll kill him and Piper, and –”

“Good!” Octavian yelled. “They’re traitors! All traitors!” Octavian wrapped his hand around the release lever. “I must act before they get any higher. Only an onager such as this can make the shot. I will single-handedly –”

“Centurion,” said a voice behind him. Michael Kahale appeared next to Octavian.

“Michael!” Octavian shrieked with glee. “Excellent! Guard me while I fire this onager. Then we will kill this Graecus together!”

Michael Kahale took in the scene – his boss’s robes tangled in the trigger rope, Octavian’s jewellery fuming from proximity to the Imperial gold ammunition. He glanced up at the dragon, now high in the air, surrounded by rings of storm clouds like the circles of an archery target. Then he scowled at Nico.

Despite the difference in the timelines, Nico sincerely hoped Michael would not attack.

“Are you certain, Octavian?” asked Michael.

“Yes!”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes, you fool! I will be remembered as the saviour of Rome. Now keep them away while I destroy Gaia!”

Nico recalled the words his father had said in the previous timeline. The words he told his father in this timeline.  _ Some deaths cannot be prevented _ . No amount of talking to Octavian would ever change his mind.  All the same, he didn’t want to let Octavian go through with his plan only for him to hurt one of Nico’s friends.

A young girl flickered behind Octavian and Michael. She gave Nico a small nod before disappearing.

“I can’t stop you,” Nico found himself saying to Octavian.

Octavian’s eyes gleamed. “That’s right, son of Pluto. You are helpless to stop me! It is my destiny! Kahale, stand guard!”

“As you wish.” Michael moved in front of the machine, interposing himself between Octavian and Nico. “Centurion, do what you must.”

Octavian turned to release the catch. “A good friend to the last.”

Nico took a deep breath. Hestia’s appearance was startling, but she had gestured for him to let Octavian do it.

_ Some deaths should not be prevented _ .

But, gods, he hoped that most of them could be prevented. Jason would be alive. Frank would be alive. Hazel would be alive. The Apollo cabin would be alive. Apollo and Hecate would still be around. Leo would come back with Calypso.

“Goodbye, Gaia!” Octavian yelled. “Goodbye, Jason Grace the traitor!” Octavian cut the release wire with his augur’s knife. And he disappeared.

The catapult arm sprang upward faster than Nico’s eye could follow, launching Octavian along with the ammunition. The augur’s scream faded until he was simply part of the fiery comet soaring skyward.

“Goodbye, Octavian,” Michael Kahale said.

He glared at Nico one last time, as if daring him to speak. Then he turned his back and trudged away.

Nico could have lived with Octavian’s end. He might even have said good riddance. But his heart sank as the comet kept gaining altitude. It disappeared into the storm clouds, and the sky exploded in a dome of fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, okay, it was Octavian who blew up again. Yay!
> 
> Now, big announcement... I'll be waiting for The Tower of Nero to come out and I read it before I start working on the next story which will of course take place when Trials of Apollo do. How does this time travel situation affect that? What does the new prophecy have to do with anything? Etc.
> 
> In the meantime, I am working on another story that I will post once I'm done with When They Came. This won't be as long as When They Came, but it might be three semi-short fics depending on where I want to go with them. I'll give you guys the details in the last chapter of When They Came which will be Chapter Eight-Four as of right now.
> 
> Anyway, are there any hopes for what y'all want to happen in the Tower of Nero? I mean, I know I'm staging a revolt if Nico or Will die, so that better not happen. Kinda torn between wanting Apollo to stay mortal and Apollo becoming a god but being closer to the demigods. And (however unlikely) wishful thinking for Jason to come back. I'd at least like to see Nico's reaction to his death. What do you guys want to see?


	70. Archers Unite (Will LXX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus
> 
> To be perfectly honest, I don't know if anything in this chapter actually came from the book. Guess we just gotta be safe.

“That was quite possibly the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done,” Will gasped as Frank dropped him and Annabeth among the campers.

“Will!”

He was attacked by a mass of green hair.

“Kayla?” Will grunted.

Kayla let him go, then promptly socked his arm. “What were you thinking?” she shouted. “Disappearing for weeks without even IMing us to let us know you were okay? Right after two giants showed up and kidnapped Nico di Angelo-”

“Nico!” Will exclaimed. He looked around wildly. “Where is he? He’s awake, right? Of course he’s awake, he IMed us days ago. Where is he? Infirmary? I’ll go there now.”

“Uh, Will?”

Will paused. He looked at Kayla. “What is it?” he snapped. “I haven’t seen Nico in weeks. In person, I mean.”

Kayla looked like she was trying to hide a smile. “Can’t you wait? If you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a battle here,” she said gesturing around. She shot off a few arrows into the group of monsters. “Actually, Nico’s probably doing most of the work. He’s got this scepter that raises dead Romans. Reyna’s commanding them.”

“Where is she?” Frank asked.

Will jumped. The newly promoted praetor must have shifted back from his eagle form while he was talking with Kayla.

“Percy!” Annabeth gasped. She looked at Will. “Mind if I run off? My stupid boyfriend just created a massive hurricane.”

Kayla and Will glanced where she was looking and gapped. “Go, go,” Kayla said breathlessly. “I’ll take Will back with me to the rest of our siblings and the Hunters.”

“That’s bigger than the one last summer,” Will said, impressed.

“Last summer?” Frank yelped.

Will laughed. “During the Battle of Manhattan. Percy was  _ terrifying _ .”

“Reyna’s near the hole in the wall,” Kayla told Frank.

Frank thanked her and jogged off to find her.

Kayla tugged Will’s arm. “Come on!”

She led him towards a set of stairs leading to the top of the wall surrounding the Camp. They quickly scaled the steps and made it to the top where Will was again accosted by his siblings.

“Dude, you’re alive!” Austin shouted. He was grinning wildly.

One of the Hunters turned to look at the new arrival. She raised her eyebrows.

“I was told by multiple sources that you cannot shoot to save your life,” she said boldly.

Will grimaced. “Hi, Thalia. Let me guess. Percy and Nico?”

Thalia grinned. “And Kayla, Annabeth, Rachel, Austin, Lou Ellen, that Hermes boy, pretty much all of your siblings-”

“I get it,” Will grumbled. He perked up. “I’ll have you know that a few minutes ago I helped my dad and Artemis take down Orion.”

Thalia cursed. “We’ve been trying to track him for months,” she said, kicking at the ground.

“Did dad or Artemis bless you?” Kayla asked slyly.

Will flushed. “Maybe. But I  _ can _ shoot well enough. I just don’t hit the bullseye every time. More like the eight or seven point rings.” He squinted at a purple light. “Is that Nico?”

Thalia looked over. “Oh, yeah. I got Reyna’s army of undead archers taking care of things right now.” She handed him a quiver full of arrows. “These are regular arrows. I don’t trust you with the Hecate cabin’s pig ball arrows.”

“Legion, cuneum formate!” Reyna’s voice rang out. “Advance!” The Roman demigods cheered and roared.

“Greeks! Let’s fight stuff!”

Thalia snorted. “Only Percy,” she said, shaking her head fondly as they joined the Greek campers in their wild banshee yells.

“Alright, let’s move!” Kayla shouted to the Apollo cabin kids. She winced and looked at Will. “Sorry.”

“What she said!” Will said with a grin. “Time to dust some monsters!”

The Greeks and Romans slowly pushed back the enemies. Wild centaurs toppled. Wolf-headed men howled as they were cut to ashes. More monsters kept appearing – karpoi grain spirits swirling out of the grass, gryphons diving from the sky, and lumpy clay humanoids.

Reyna yelled, “Eiaculare flammas!” and a wave of flaming arrows arced over the legion’s shield wall, destroying a platoon of ogres.

Will, his siblings, and Thalia and the Hunters quickly let loose a string of arrows alongside the undead archers.

In the distance, Will could see tendrils of lightning sweep across the monsters. He looked at Thalia.

She shook her head. “Must be the Roman standard. It shoots lightning apparently.”

"That's what Percy told us," Will agreed.

"Great. Percy Jackson knows about a lightning shooting eagle," Austin yelled sarcastically. "We're doomed."

They cried out as the wall shook and the earth rippled. Down below, demigods fell, orges slipped, and centaurs charged face-first into the grass. Will barely had time to grab onto the wall for support.

_ AWAKE _ , a voice boomed all around them.

A hundred yards away, at the crest of the next hill, the grass and soil swirled upward like the point of a massive drill. The column of earth thickened into the twenty-foot-tall figure of a woman – her dress woven from blades of grass, her skin as white as quartz, her hair brown and tangled like tree roots. Gaea.

“Little fools.” Gaea the Earth Mother opened her pure green eyes. “The paltry magic of your statue cannot contain me.”

“It’s her,” Kayla hissed hysterically. “Oh gods, you guys didn’t  _ stop her _ ?”

“Percy’s stupid nose bled before we could do anything,” Will hissed back. “Besides, she didn’t take form there. Leo has a plan I think.”

“Stand firm,” Thalia commanded the Hunters. “Don’t stop taking out our enemies.”

FOOOOMP! In a flash of bronze, Gaia was swept off the hillside, snarled in the claws of a fifty-ton metal dragon. Festus, reborn, rose into the sky on gleaming wings, spewing fire from his maw triumphantly.

Austin’s jaw dropped. “Is that…?”

“We’re doomed,” Thalia groaned.

“Not yet,” Will denied. “Come on. Keep shooting. Can we get some pig ball arrows near the back of the monsters so we don’t hit any campers?”

They resumed the constant barrage of arrows, but Will couldn’t help glancing up at the fireball in the sky that was Leo and Festus. He hoped Leo had a plan because whatever had to happen, Percy and Annabeth hadn’t shared that much with the rest of the group. They had been spending time with Leo lately, so Will hoped that that meant the three of them were working out a plan of attack.

He almost missed the second fireball. It shot through the air, rising from one of the onagers in the distance. The ball of fire climbed higher and higher. Straight towards the flaming dragon and Leo. Will opened his mouth to shout out, but no sound came out.

The fireball collided with Leo and Festus. The sky exploded in a golden color.

The next few minutes were a blur.

Nyssa from Hephestus raised her voice over the shouts and screams. “FOR LEO VALDEZ!” The rest of her cabin roared and they charged at the monsters even more fiercely.

A storm started to roll in. Soaring through the sky was Jason Grace. His body crackled with lightning.

How he managed to do it so far away from the lake and already tired out from doing it earlier, Will had no idea, but Percy summoned a massive hurricane that didn’t seem to affect any of the demigods.

The shadows on the battlefield seemed to grow darker, and more dead Romans joined the fray. Definitely Nico’s doing.

All around it seemed like the campers were attacking with renewed vigor. Some of Will’s arrows even hit exactly where he wanted (although, wouldn’t it be just his luck to find out that Lou Ellen enchanted the arrows to aim true just for him?).

And then it was over.

Squealing pigs ran around, kicking up monster dust and circling dazed campers.

It was over.

The future Percy, Annabeth, and Nico wanted to prevent didn’t happen.

It was over.

Yet Will couldn’t help but glanced back up at the sky and wish it hadn’t ended this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Next chapter is going to be an after the war one. Then y'all be done reading about Leo's demise. How many times has it been? Four? Yep. Four.


	71. To New Friends (Nico LXXI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

“Nico!”

He registered the voice and a light smile touched his face. Nico turned around to see Will running towards him.

“Hey, tesoro,” Nico said, once Will reached him.

Will squeezed him into a hug. “Breaking your no touchy rule, sunshine,” he mumbled. “I missed you.”

Nico laughed. “Percy said you were grumpy. I didn’t believe him. No way could Will Solace be grumpy.”

Will looked slightly pink. “Yeah, well, I was mad at myself for letting you go. And, like I said, I missed you. A lot.”

“I missed you too,” Nico sighed. “Don’t make me say it again.”

Will snorted. He fell silent. “Now what?”

Nico tilted his head. “Now we wait for Leo to come back with his girlfriend.”

“Speaking of that, weren’t you going to confess your undying love after we won?” Will remembered. “Well. We won.”

“Oh,” Nico said, flushing bright red. “I’ll get around to that. Meanwhile, I think I’m going to lay down. I summoned the most dead I’ve ever summoned before.” He held up the now broken shaft of the scepter. “It exploded after I sent the dead back. I’m just surprised it lasted that long. Last time, it exploded on the second use.”

“We did it!”

Percy was dragging Annabeth towards Will and Nico. They were smiling.

“Leo’s dead,” Will crossed his arms.

Nico winced. “Yeah. Pretty much. I felt it.” He frowned. “He’ll be back. Eventually. He has to.”

Annabeth pulled Nico and Will in for a group hug. “Thank you for all the help, Will,” she said. “And, Nico, it was a fantastic adventure with you.”

“Well, now we have to figure out how we got here in the first place,” Nico grumbled. “But first. I need to sleep. Good night.”

.

The next day, there weren’t many answers. That he could give anyway.

Where was Leo? Is he alive? How did you know how to defeat Gaea? Is she dead?

Jason and Piper went out looking for Leo despite Nico saying that he wouldn’t be there. The entire Hephaestus cabin scoured the valley, finding bits and pieces of the Argo II’s broken hull, but no sign of Festus the dragon or his master.

The whole thing seemed surreal. Greek and Roman casualties were heavy, but the numbers were nowhere near the amount from before.

Overnight, the satyrs and nymphs disappeared into the woods for a convocation of the Cloven Elders. In the morning, Grover Underwood reappeared to announce that they could not sense the Earth Mother’s presence. Nature was more or less back to normal. Gaia had been separated from her source of power, charmed to sleep and then atomized in the combined explosion of Leo’s fire and Octavian’s man-made comet.

An immortal could never truly die, but now Gaia would be like her husband, Ouranos. The earth would continue to function as normal, just as the sky did, but Gaia was now so dispersed and powerless that she could never again form a consciousness.

At least, that was the hope. And Nico didn’t think he’d be alone in praying that if she did rise again, it wouldn’t be in his lifetime.

The victory celebration at camp was muted, due to grief – not just for Leo but also for the many others who had died in battle. Shrouded demigods, both Greek and Roman, were burned at the campfire, and Chiron asked Nico to oversee the burial rites. Nico agreed immediately. He was grateful for the opportunity to honour the dead. Even the hundreds of spectators didn’t bother him. Better that than a few spectators for the few hundred dead.

Jason and Piper refused to speak to Percy, Annabeth, and Nico. Immediately following the conclusion of the battle, the two had searched out the trio of time travelers and shouted at them for letting Leo die.

Having Jason giving him the cold shoulder hurt Nico more than he wanted to admit. When the son of Jupiter found out Nico had let Octavian fire the onager that ended Leo’s life, he had been furious.

What made matters worse was that Will was spending all his time in the infirmary patching up demigods and saving lives. Not letting people die. Not like Nico did.

“It had to happen this way, right?” Nico asked Percy and Annabeth (mostly Annabeth) desperately. “Leo had to die, right? There was nothing we could have done to prevent it?”

“I don’t know,” Annabeth whispered. “Nike said one of the group that went to her would die. Percy, Leo, Frank, or Hazel. I wish I could say for certain that he had to, but I can’t. Can you tell if he’s… alive?”

Nico frowned. “He definitely died. I felt that. I’m not sure if he’s alive yet. I’ll tell you guys as soon as I know for sure.”

He didn’t want to say anything, but Leo’s death had felt as different as it had the first time. He hoped this meant that Leo was alive, but saying that and not having it be true would be too cruel.

The next day, the second since the battle, Romans and Greeks worked side by side to clean up the warzone and tend the wounded. Will was still running around healing demigods or gathering supplies. The son of Apollo hadn’t once stopped to talk to Nico since right after the battle had ended.

Nico felt a twinge of melancholy. No doubt Will thought Nico was a monster now, for letting Octavian kill Leo. For letting Leo die when he could have tried to prevent it.

Certainly, the air around the camp was a lot more cheerful than it was on Olympus after the war had been won. Dakota shared Kool-Aid with the kids from the Dionysus cabin. The children of Hermes and Mercury laughed and told stories and brazenly stole things from just about everyone. Reyna, Annabeth and Piper were inseparable, roaming the camp as a trio to check on the progress of the repairs. Chiron, escorted by Frank and Hazel, inspected the Roman troops and praised them for their bravery.

Coach Hedge roamed among the demigods, beaming and holding his baby boy and saying, “Hey, you want to meet Chuck? This is my boy, Chuck!”

Nico couldn’t help the smile that found its way to his lips.

“Are you smiling?”

Nico turned to see Reyna. “What?”

Reyna looked amused. “You. Smiling. At a baby.”

“In another life I might have just gotten him to Camp in time to see his son born,” Nico said fondly. “Will probably would have delivered the baby. Guess I saved him from that fate when I sent him to the Argo II.”

“A nymph delivered the child,” Reyna informed him. “Do you regret it? Not doing short jumps?”

Nico shrugged. “No. Not really. Less Hawaiian shirts this way,” he grinned.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nevermind,” Nico waved her off.

At announcement time, Chiron stepped forward and raised his goblet.

“Out of every tragedy,” he said, “comes new strength. Today, we thank the gods for this victory. To the gods!”

The demigods all joined the toast, but their enthusiasm seemed muted. Nico understood the feeling:  _ We saved the gods again, and now we’re supposed to thank them? _

Then Chiron said, “And to new friends!”

“TO NEW FRIENDS!” Hundreds of demigod voices echoed across the hills.

At the campfire, everyone kept looking at the stars, as if they expected Leo to come back in some dramatic, last-minute surprise. Maybe he’d swoop in, jump off Festus’s back and launch into corny jokes. It didn’t happen. Nico didn’t expect it to. Last time it had taken Leo over a month to return.

After a few songs, Reyna and Frank were called to the front. They got a thunderous round of applause from both the Greeks and Romans. Up on Half-Blood Hill, the Athena Parthenos glowed more brightly in moonlight, as if to signal:  _ These kids are alright _ .

“Tomorrow,” Reyna said, “we Romans must return home. We appreciate your hospitality even though there were some unfortunate clashes.”

“Anyway,” Frank took over, “Reyna and I agree this marks a new era of friendship between the camps.”

Reyna clapped him on the back. “That’s right. For hundreds of years, the gods tried to separate us to keep us from fighting. But there’s a better kind of peace – cooperation.”

Piper stood up from the audience. “Are you sure your mom is a war goddess?”

“Yes, McLean,” Reyna said. “I still intend to fight a lot of battles. But from now on we fight together!”

That got a big cheer.

Frank raised his hand for quiet. “You’ll all be welcome at Camp Jupiter. We’ve come to an agreement with Chiron: a free exchange between the camps – weekend visits, training programmes and, of course, emergency aid in times of need –”

“And parties?” asked Dakota.

“Hear, hear!” said Connor Stoll.

Reyna spread her arms. “That goes without saying. We Romans invented parties.”

A big  _ Oooohhhhhhh _ !

“So thank you,” Reyna concluded. “All of you. We could’ve chosen hatred and war. Instead we found acceptance and friendship.” She smiled at all of them. “We had one home,” she said. “Now we have two.”

The crowd roared with approval.

Nico gave the Zeus table a long look. Jason was applauding Reyna and Frank, but his back was firmly and pointedly facing the Hades, Poseidon, and Athena tables.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, I'm sad that due to the changing up of time that Reyna and Nico won't be as close, but maybe there's room for that in the sequel?


	72. Hazel (LXXII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

The Hades cabin was a lot more inviting on the inside than before. Since he was actually around for the building of it, Nico prevented the vampire beds from ever existing. It was a slight relief because he didn’t think he could have handled sleeping in a coffin bed right now.

Hazel still insisted on partitioning her side of the room with sheets for privacy, but that was okay. Nico was happy to give her some space.

Before he climbed into bed, Nico paused to pull something out of his nightstand. The small figurine in his hands scowled up at him.

“Bianca got that for you, right?”

Nico looked up to see Hazel peering over his shoulder. He smiled wistfully. “Yeah. It’s the only figurine I didn’t destroy. I had anger problems back then.” He put it back into the drawer. “But, you know, it’s just a silly kids game anyway.”

“It’s not silly,” Hazel said, taking the figurine out of the drawer and setting it on top of the nightstand. “I bet Frank would play with you one day. You guys still know all the rules and stuff. Besides, we’re still kids.” She opened her mouth to say something, but then Frank came in.

He flushed. “I was hoping to talk to Hazel. Sorry. I should have knocked.”

Nico waved him off. “It’s fine.”

Nico tried to ignore Frank and Hazel’s hushed tones. He stretched out in his bunk. His non-vampire bunk thank the gods.

Finally Frank knocked on the wall next to Nico’s bed. Nico looked over. Frank stood so tall now. He seemed so… Roman.

“Hey,” Frank said. “We’ll be leaving in the morning. Just wanted to tell you thanks. You know, for making sure the war ended earlier than it did before.”

Nico sat up in his bunk. “You did great too, Frank. It’s been an honor. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Frank smiled. “Honestly, I’m kind of surprised I lived through it. The whole magic firewood thing…”

Nico nodded. “I can’t see the future,” Nico told him, “but I can often tell when people are close to death. You’re not. I don’t know when that piece of firewood will burn up. Eventually, we all run out of firewood. But it won’t be soon, Praetor Zhang. You and Hazel… you’ve got a lot more adventures ahead of you. You’re just getting started. Be good to my sister, okay?”

Hazel walked up next to Frank and laced her hand with his. “Nico, you’re not threatening my  boyfriend, are you?” She smiled. “When are you going to tell us who you were dating before? If you’re threatening my boyfriend, I think I should get to threaten-”

“Fine, fine,” Nico cut her off. “I won’t threaten Frank. I know he won’t hurt you. Because if he did, he’d probably find himself stranded in a cave underground with no exit.”

Frank swallowed. “Right.”

Nico patted Frank’s arm. “See. No need for threats. Frank’s a good guy. Or bear. Or bulldog. Or-”

“Oh, stop,” Hazel laughed. Then she kissed Frank. “See you in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “Nico… you sure you won’t come with us? You’ll always have a place in New Rome.”

“Thanks, but no,” Nico turned him down. “Last time, I made the decision to stay here. Obviously that got ruined, but hopefully I can have a nice peaceful few months at Camp.”

“Good luck with that,” Frank snorted. “We’ll see you again? You’ll visit, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico looked at Hazel. “I might miss my sister too much.”

“I’ll miss you too,” Hazel said. “Goodnight, Frank.”

“Night, Hazel, Nico,” Frank said as he left the cabin.

“Can I tell you something?” Nico said as soon as the door shut.

Hazel looked at him inquisitively. “Sure. What is it?”

Nico’s heart pounded in his chest. “Uh, when you were asking about… who I was dating when I came back…” he swallowed. “Look, it took me a while to accept it myself. Coming from the 40s and all. I… I don’t really remember everything from my time before the Lotus Hotel, but I do remember pieces.”

Hazel frowned. “Okay? What does that have to do with anything? Is she removed from time too?”

“No.” Nico clenched his fists. “Hazel, I… I didn’t have a girlfriend.”

She looked at him in confusion for a few seconds. “You didn’t have a girlfriend? But you said you were dating-” she froze, eyes wide. “Oh. So… so you…”

“Yeah,” Nico let out a breath. “I had a... boyfriend.” The word was strange in his mouth.

Hazel was silent for a minute. Then she asked, “Will?”

A tug on the corners of his mouth. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Hazel said, nodding to herself. “Okay. That’s okay with me. I mean, I wasn’t expecting you to say  _ that _ , but… I’m okay with it. I think. As long as you’re happy. That’s what matters, right?”

Nico looked over and gave her a small smile. “Thanks, Hazel.”

“When are you going to ask him out?” she asked slyly.

Nico groaned. “Ugh. You and Percy, honestly. I’m working on it, okay? Just… he probably hates me for letting Leo die. Jason and Piper do.”

“They don’t hate you,” Hazel said firmly. “They’re upset with themselves because they couldn’t save him. I mean, you guys told us Leo died. That was one of the first things Percy and Annabeth said when they told us they were from the future.”

Nico looked at her. “Wise words. You’ve come so far. You’re not the same girl I brought to Camp Jupiter. Your power with the Mist, your confidence –”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“No,” Nico said. “Getting a second life is one thing. Making it a better life, that’s the trick. Trust me. I know.”

Hazel started to laugh. Before he knew it, Nico joined her. They laughed until their stomachs ached.

“Promise me you’ll tell us as soon as Leo comes back?”

“Promise. I just hope he doesn’t wait as long as before. I think Piper wanted to murder him herself for waiting so long.”

“You felt his death, didn’t you?” Hazel’s eyes were watery. Her voice was small.

“Yeah,” Nico admitted. “But something about it was… different. Good different. I’ve been so worried that letting Octavian launch that onager could have cost Leo his life for real, but I don’t think so. Last time, his own firepower alone wasn’t enough. The explosive power of the projectile might have been the extra boost he needed to destroy Gaea.”

“I wish he told us his plan,” Hazel murmured. “Then we could have solid hope that he’s alive. Not just the word of a few time travelers. No offense.”

Nico nodded silently. His eyes landed on the Hades figurine Hazel had placed on Nico’s nightstand.  _ Please, please, please, let Leo be alive _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I hope I did a good job with Hazel's reaction. I do truly believe Hazel would be very accepting because 1) Nico is her brother and 2) she's so sweet and caring. She's just not use to the idea. Anyway, hope I got it portrayed right.


	73. Apologies (Jason LXXIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Jason knocked on the door to the Hades cabin. He held his breath until the door flew open and Nico di Angelo glared at him.

“What do you want?” he hissed. “Hazel’s still asleep, so come back later.”

“I actually came to talk to you,” Jason said hesitantly.

Nico sighed, but stepped out of his cabin and shut the door behind him. “What did you want to talk about?” he asked flatly. “You made it very clear yesterday what you thought about me.”

“Sorry,” Jason blurted. He looked down. “About yelling at you. That… that wasn’t fair. You know Leo comes back, and you knew how to make sure he dies, but still comes back with the Physician’s cure. If anything, I should have thanked you, Percy, and Annabeth for saving his life and everyone else’s lives.”

Nico kicked at the ground. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to. Is that all?”

“Please help me out here,” Jason grumbled. “I’m trying to apologize for being a bad friend. A bad brother.” He hesitated. “We are brothers, right?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I guess we are.”

Jason gave him a big grin. “Good. Because I’d hate not talking to my little bro.”

“Don’t call me bro,” Nico said with a scowl. “Percy might be okay with that, but I’m not.”

Jason laughed. He spotted the Roman’s packing up and breaking camp. “It was strange to see them here. Now it’ll be strange not seeing them.”

“Do you regret not going with them?” Nico asked.

Jason shrugged. “A little. But I’ll be going back and forth between the camps a lot. I have some shrines to build.”

“I heard. The Senate plans to elect you Pontifex Maximus.”

“I don’t care about the title so much,” Jason said. “I do care about making sure the gods are remembered. I don’t want them fighting out of jealousy any more, or taking out their frustrations on demigods.”

“They’re gods,” Nico said. “That’s their nature.”

“Well, at least I can try to make it better,” Jason pointed out. He bit his lip. “Um, look. You can tell if people are dead, right?”

“Leo’s dead,” Nico said flatly. “I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I felt his death. I’ll tell you the second that changes, but I don’t want to get your hope up. I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

Jason stared off into the distance. He smiled, remembering the moments he shared with Leo and Piper during the construction of the Argo II and even before then on their quest.

In the distance, the Romans were picking up their gear and toting it across the hill. On the other side, so Jason had heard, a fleet of black SUVs waited to transport the legion cross-country back to California.

“Ella the harpy is going with them, you know,” Jason said. “She and Tyson. Even Rachel Elizabeth Dare. They’re going to work together to try to reconstruct the Sibylline Books.”

Nico snorted. “That should be interesting.”

“Could take years,” Jason said. “But with the voice of Delphi extinguished… What happened? Do you know?”

Nico shook his head. “Apollo was sent to Olympus after you guys fought the giants, but when the tides turned in Gaea’s favor and we fled to Olympus, Zeus took him out of timeout. Then he went missing and we won the war. I don’t know, I assumed it died with Apollo. I guess not.”

“Well, for now those Sibylline Books might be our only way to get guidance for quests,” Jason said.

“Personally,” Nico said, “I could do without prophecies or quests for a while.” He paused. “A long while. I’m hoping everything calms down. We deserve it.”

“You’ve got a point,” Jason said, straightening his glasses. “So. Have you talked to him? Will, I mean.”

Nico tensed up. “He’s busy with the infirmary and stuff. Don’t need a son of Hades to bother him and bring all the death with him.”

“You’ve been to see him in the infirmary before, right?” Jason asked in confusion. “Why does it matter now?”

“Because the times I did go, the worst thing was a broken arm or a gash from sword fighting,” Nico sighed. “But now there’s dying demigods there, and no one wants anymore death around than necessary.”

Jason frowned. “I’ll drag him out then.”

“Seriously? No way.”

“Come on. I could get Kayla or Austin to do it.”

“That’s worse. I’m pretty sure Kayla knows or at least suspects.”

“I’ll break your leg and then you’ll  _ have _ to go see Will.”

“Try that and I’ll shove a skeleton up your-”

“Hey!”

Jason turned to see who called out. He grinned. “Oh, hey, Will. We were just talking about you.”

Will Solace looked the most intimidating Jason had ever seen him look. He had a green surgeon’s shirt with jeans and flip-flops. He had no weapon in sight, but Jason was under the impression that if Will told him what to do, he’d probably do it. Somehow, Will as a doctor was a lot scarier than Will as a fighter. Jason gave a quick side-glance at Nico to see the son of Hades avoiding Will’s eyes.

“Jason,” Nico said, “would you excuse us?”

“Okay,” Jason said with a last glance between the two before he walked off towards the dining pavilion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, I love Jason and Nico.
> 
> And now. The moment you've all been waiting for...


	74. It's Only Love (Nico LXXIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus
> 
> Also, the one chapter that has been prayed to all the gods for since the beginning of this story. I hope I do it justice.

“So where were you?” Will demanded. He looked stern, but Nico found it hard to take him seriously in the non-standard hospital protocol flip-flops.

“What do you mean?” Nico asked.

Will sighed. “I’ve been stuck in the infirmary for, like, two days. You don’t come by. You don’t offer to help.”

“I… what? Why would you want a son of Hades in the same room with people you’re trying to  heal? Why would anyone want that?”

Will gave him a disbelieving look. “Really? How many times have you come to help out? Cutting bandages, eating lunch with me, just showing up so I can see a friendly face? No one cares who your father is, Nico!  _ I _ don’t care! You helped me a lot in the infirmary, okay? Besides, even if you don’t want to help out, then you could at least drop by to say ‘How’s it going, Will?’”

Nico looked down. “You know, I never understood why you always talked to me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I can’t summon zombies and skeletons or scare anyone.”

Will kicked the ground. “Yeah, well, you don’t scare me.”

“So you’ve said,” Nico nodded.

They walked around the cabin grounds in silence.

“Hey, Rapunzel got out of his tower!”

Nico and Will looked over to see Cecil and Lou Ellen running towards them. Well, Cecil was running, Lou Ellen was trailing behind with an amused look.

Will sighed. “Hi, Cecil.”

Cecil grinned. “Flower gleam and glow, man. Hey, Nico. So. Heard Will raising his voice earlier. What were you fighting about now?”

“Nico’s self-depreciation,” Will said the same time Nico said, “Nothing.”

Lou Ellen snorted. “So one of your usual lovers spats.”

“Lovers spats?” Will sputtered.

Nico’s face burned. “Excuse me?”

“I’m kidding,” Lou Ellen rolled her eyes. “Geez, lighten up a little.”

“Will can lighten up a little if we sing,” Cecil said with a straight face.

Will shoved his shoulder. “Shut up.”

.

_ “Um, hi,” Nico said nervously as he entered the infirmary. _

_ Will Solace jumped. “Oh! Hi. Are you hurt? What happened?” _

_ Nico scowled. “No. I…” he sighed. “I was told to come here and… register my ‘medical history’ or whatever. Percy thinks I’ll end up here a lot.”  _ And I wanted to see you _ , he added silently. _

_ Although, the whole Percy told him to register his history was in fact true. The son of Poseidon had told Nico that he would probably have to go to the infirmary at some point for overdoing it with his so called Underworldy magic. _

_ “Percy told you to register your medical history?” Will asked in disbelief. “You do know he hasn’t yet, right?” _

_ “It was probably Annabeth,” Nico shrugged. “Who told him to tell me.” _

_ Will laughed. “Definitely. I’m Will Solace, son of Apollo, by the way.” _

_ “Nico di Angelo, son of… son of Hades,” he said hesitantly. _

_ “I know who you are,” Will waved him off. “I saw you during the fight! You raised a whole army of skeletons  _ and _ you got your dad to fight! It was so cool.” _

_ Nico flushed. “Thanks.” _

_ Will waved him over to one of the various beds. “I know it’s just answering some questions, but we don’t really have any chairs to sit in,” he said, the smile slipping from his face. _

_ Nico glanced around. Of the chairs they did have in the infirmary, most were pulled up to various beds and were occupied by friends of whoever was laying in the bed. _

_ Will handed him a clipboard and a pen. “Just fill that out. If you have any questions, let me know.” _

_ “Uh, I do have one,” Nico winced, glancing down at the sheet. “My, uh, birthday and… physical age don’t match up.” _

_ Will didn’t look fazed. “Oh, does time pass differently in the Underworld? You spent a while there, right? That’s okay just-” _

_ “That’s not it,” Nico cut him off. “Um, my father put me and… he put me in the Lotus Casino Hotel for a few… decades.” He swallowed. _

_ Will blinked. “Decades?” _

_ “Time kinda stands still there, I guess,” Nico shrugged. “So I’m… twelve years old physically, but I was born in 1928.” _

_ “Holy Hephaestus!” Will shouted. _

_ Nico’s eyes went wide. “I know. It’s not normal, but-” _

_ “Not  _ that _ ,” Will exclaimed. He snatched the clipboard out of Nico’s hands. “You haven’t been to a doctor since when? 1930 something? Have you gone since then? Wait. Was that rude? I’m sorry. But it’s just that you probably haven’t gotten caught up on all your shots or anything and-” _

_ “I’m starting to think Percy was actually behind all this,” Nico mumbled. _

.

“Anyways, we missed you,” Lou Ellen said to Will. “Your siblings were freaking out about Nico though. Seemed to think that you might break every bone in their bodies if they didn’t heal him right.”

Nico gave Will an incredulous look. “You didn’t actually threaten that, right?”

The light blush on Will’s cheeks gave it away. “I said it one time your arm was fading away and they were doing it wrong,” he muttered.

“I didn’t think you were  _ capable _ of such violence,” Nico said, impressed.

“You mean you’ve never heard him say that he could hurt you and make it look like an accident because he knows every bone, muscle, ligament, blood vessel, organ, etc in your body?” Cecil gasped. “That’s not fair! Will’s said that to me at least ten times!”

“How many of those times were because you stole from the Apollo cabin or the infirmary?” Lou Ellen deadpanned. Cecil deflated. “That’s what I thought.”

A loud  _ whoop! _ cut through the air. Over by the hearth in the centre of the common, Percy was grinning at something Annabeth had just told him. Annabeth laughed and playfully slapped his arm.

“Why so excited, Jackson?” Cecil called.

Percy and Annabeth smiled widely as they hurried over.

“Considering the world didn’t end,” Percy said with a glance at Nico, “we actually get to live.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “You jinxed it.”

“If the world blows up tomorrow, blame me, but I just meant that Gaea lost,” Percy grumbled.

“We’re going to spend our senior year together,” Annabeth explained, “here in New York. And after graduation –”

“College in New Rome!” Percy pumped his fist like he was blowing a truck horn. “Four years with no monsters to fight, no battles, no stupid prophecies. Just me and Annabeth, getting our degrees, hanging out at cafés, enjoying California –”

“And after that…” Annabeth kissed Percy on the cheek. “Well, Reyna and Frank said we could live in New Rome as long as we like.”

“That’s great,” Nico said. “I’m sure Annabeth will like it there. New Rome’s pretty cool.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Because I wasn’t sure if it was your type.”

“I hate you,” Nico scowled. “Do you always have to bring that up?”

“I’ll keep bringing it up until the day I die.”

“That can be arranged.”

Percy frowned. “Ouch.”

“You guys make no sense,” Cecil said shaking his head. His stomach growled. “Ah man, I’m starving. You guys coming?”

Lou Ellen nodded, but Percy held up a hand. “I gotta steal Nico and Will. You guys go ahead.”

.

_ “Is that a Happy Meal?” _

_ Nico looked up to see Will staring at the food in front of Nico. His face heated up. “So what?” _

_ “So it’s unhealthy!” Will exclaimed, sitting down next to Nico. _

_ “For your information, William Solace, this is not a ‘Happy Meal’,” Nico said matter-of-factly. “Do you know how demeaning it would be to ask for that? It’s a McDonald’s cheeseburger and french fries.” _

_ “That’s a happy meal.” _

_ “Happy Meals come in red boxes that have a smiley face on them. Plus a toy. Do you see any of that here? What’s the problem with my food?” _

_ Will crossed his arms. “First of all, my name isn’t William. It’s Will. Just Will. Second, McDonald’s is super unhealthy and you just summoned an army of the dead only a few days ago! You should be eating a salad or something.” _

_ “You’re an annoying friend, you know.” _

_ “I’m a doctor, and I’m just looking out for you.” _

_ Nico glanced down at the flip-flops on Will’s feet. “Oh, yeah. You sure are a doctor. What with the flip-flops and everything.” _

_ “Haha,” Will said sarcastically. “Don’t hate on my flip-flops.” _

_ “Counselors,” Chiron said loudly. “We’re going to be meeting after lunch today.” _

_ Will’s face fell. “This’ll be my first meeting,” he said quietly. He bit his lip and glanced at Nico. “I was wondering if you could tell if he’s in Elysium? My brother, that is. Michael.” _

_ “He will be,” Nico said firmly. “I mean, he’s probably waiting in line to be judged right now. The lines are always so backed up. It’s ridiculous. I tried talking to my father about it once, but for the god of wealth, he can be a little stingy with his money.” He looked at Will who was giving him an amused look. “What?” _

_ “You are the only person who could make something like this so funny,” Will said shaking his head. “You telling me we get to wait in long lines after we die?” _

_ “EZ-Death lines go straight to Asphodel,” Nico shrugged. “Your choice, but it’s mostly just the people who don’t want to chance the Fields of Punishment.” _

_ Will snorted. “Do you think I could get a friend's discount? Line jump a little? Can I just say, ‘I’m friends with Nico di Angelo’ and they’ll let me go to the front?” _

_ “Good luck with that,” Nico said, returning his attention back to his fries. _

.

“What do you need?” Will asked Percy.

Percy gave Nico a sly look. He turned his attention back to Will. “I thought we might have a little ‘hooray, the world didn’t end’ party with all of us on the Argo II. Well, more like a small all you can eat favorite food thing at my table, but still.” He looked at Nico.

_ What? _ Nico glared.

Percy’s eyes widened ever so slightly as if to say,  _ I told you I wasn’t pressing, but here’s your chance! _ His eyes flitted towards Will.

Will missed the whole exchange. “Sounds cool. Kinda like a potluck type thing?”

“Exactly,” Annabeth nodded.

“Alright,” Nico relented. “Fine. I’ll do it. I mean, join your potluck. Whatever.”

Percy beamed. “Great. We’re going to find Jason, Piper, Frank, and Hazel.” He faltered. “Hey, do you think Leo will come back soon? I mean, we did say how annoyed we were with him the first time. He didn’t come back for months.”

“Almost two months,” Nico corrected. “And, yeah. I think he’ll come back soon. He better.”

“Well, we’ll see you down there,” Percy waved. He shot Nico a quick thumbs up.

Nico took a deep breath. “While they’re doing that, can I talk to you?”

“Sure,” Will agreed. “What’s up?”

“Not here,” Nico said, looking around at the campers roaming around. “Somewhere more private.”

.

_ “You’ve been gone for weeks,” Will complained. “Where were you?” _

_ Nico shrugged as he cut some bandages. “Off doing stuff for my father.” _

_ “Doing what?” Will pried. _

_ “Stuff.” _

_ “What stuff?” _

_ “Underworld stuff.” _

_ Will huffed. “What kind of Underworld stuff?” _

_ “Ghost King stuff.” _

_ “Can’t you just give me a straight answer?” Will grumbled in frustration. _

_ Nico smiled. “Nope. If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” _

_ “Liar,” Will accused. _

_ “No really,” Nico said shaking his head. “My father won’t let me tell anyone.” _

_ Kinda true. He wasn’t supposed to let anyone know about the Greek and Roman camps. Nico also supposed it would be a bad idea to say he brought his sister back from the dead, but not his sister Bianca, his sister Hazel who’s actually a daughter of Pluto, not Hades. Yeah, probably not the best thing to say. _

_ “At least you came back, I guess,” Will mumbled. “I thought maybe I drove you off.” _

_ “You’re my only friend at camp,” Nico pointed out. “If anyone drove me away it would be literally anyone else. I’m just busy with stuff for my father.” _

_ “My siblings like you!” Will protested. “And you hang out with me with Cecil and Lou Ellen.” _

_ “Anyone but them then,” Nico amended. _

_ Will gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah, well, I hope we’re the ones keeping you here.” _

_ “You are,” Nico said quietly. “Even if I’m all the way in California.” _

_ “California?” _

_ Nico realized his mistake. “One of the entrances to the Underworld is there, you know,” he said quickly. _

_ Will held up his hands defensively. “Okay, okay.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, psych! Originally, this was supposed to have... what the next chapter has too, but it ended up being waaaay long with all the flashbacks so I cut it in half.
> 
> Anyway, I did want to call back to the first chapter where I wrote that "Nico di Angelo and Will Solace became friends" or however I wrote it. So I got a little insight into the days following the end of the Titan War and Percy, Annabeth, and Nico's time travel thing.
> 
> Now, to put you out of your misery... here's the next chapter posted shortly.


	75. And That is All (Will LXXV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the titles for this chapter and the last are from the song by the Beatles. I went through my phone and was like, okay what Beatles song can I use for Solangelo chapters?

“So what do you need to talk about?” Will asked curiously when they got to the empty beach.

Nico shoved his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket. “I haven’t exactly been truthful,” he began. “Percy, Annabeth, and I left out some parts of the future. Mostly because we didn’t want that to influence you guys, but it influences us and it’s not fair to give you guys half-truths and let you fill in the blanks.”

Will frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I found out I was a half-blood after a manticore attacked Bianca and I,” Nico said, ignoring Will’s question. “Percy came to rescue us, and I was pretty much in awe of him. At the time I really liked Mythomagic, so Percy was basically my favorite game come to life. And I thought he could do no wrong,” he said quietly, cheeks flushed a light pink. “When my sister got put on the quest, I made Percy promise to protect her. Like I said, to me he was Percy Jackson, the cool older demigod who saved us from the manticore. Obviously, Bianca didn’t come back, and I got mad.” He shuffled his feet. “You know that giant crack in the floor?”

“That was  _ you _ ?” Will gapped.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Thank you, Captain Obvious. Yeah, it was me. These skeleton warriors appeared and tried to attack Percy. I was so angry at Percy and I was angry at the skeletons and I was angry at myself. Because however much I hated Percy, I…” he swallowed. “I would do anything for him.”

Will looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“It was something I tried so hard to ignore,” Nico continued. “Especially since I’m from the 1930s. It… it wasn’t  _ normal _ . Then Jason and I went to get the scepter, and I went in thinking things would be fine. I could handle a ghost. But it wasn’t a ghost.”

“It was Cupid,” Will recalled. “I still don’t understand, Nico.”

“He made me talk about everything I worked so hard to ignore,” Nico said, looking down. “In front of Jason. I was embarrassed, humiliated, and angry.”

Will looked at Nico with concern all over his face. “What did Cupid  _ do _ to you?”

“He forced me to admit how I felt,” Nico said, squeezing his eyes shut. “I tried to lie, but he knew. Of course he knew. Ugh, Will, what I’m trying to say is that I didn’t have a  _ girlfriend _ when I came back. I used to have a huge crush on Percy.” He opened his eyes and looked at Will. “That’s why he always jokes about ‘my type’ all the time.”

Will looked at Nico in surprise. “You… like  _ Percy? _ ” he asked quietly. His heart dropped. “So… it’s all been a show? You’re actually dating Percy, and Annabeth’s not?”

Nico burst out laughing. Will couldn’t help but feel offended.

“Oh my gods, Will! No! Percy and Annabeth are… they’re together forever. I  _ used _ to like him. I told him before the final battle last time. Said… well, I said he was cute, but not my type.”

“Oh,” Will said, feeling slightly more happy. “So all the times he said water wasn’t your type or when he complained that he wasn’t everyone’s type… that was because of you?” His smile faded again. “Wait. So you didn’t have a girlfriend, then who… who was he?”

Nico's face was turning red. “That’s kinda part of what I wanted to tell you,” Nico mumbled. “Um, so, you know most of my history, other timeline included. I used to feel like I didn’t belong at Camp. I wasn’t going to stay at either Camp after the war ended.” He took a deep breath. “Until I shadow traveled to the top of Half-Blood Hill and almost decapitated someone. He told me that I was the one shutting everyone out and that if I opened my eyes and stopped pushing everyone away, I would realize that there are people who would want to be my friend. Him and his friends had gotten all dressed up in black clothes to sneak around and disable the Roman onagers. The only thing he forgot was his blindingly bright hair. He was the most annoying and stubborn demigod I ever met,” Nico snorted. “Bossed me around the moment he arrived. But… I started to change my mind about leaving. Of course, the war didn’t end for months, but I would have stayed. After the final battle, I thought he was dead. There had been an attack where he and his siblings were staying. But he survived. We… we got together after that.”

.

_ “Percy’s missing?” Will asked incredulously. “Gods, do you think something happened to him? What did Annabeth and Chiron say?” _

_ Nico shrugged. “Not much.” He looked down. “Will? I’m leaving Camp soon. To search for Percy.” _

_ It sounded like a lie to Will, but that might have been Nico’s grief. It was amazing how close Nico had grown to Percy and Annabeth in the weeks following the Titan war. _

_ “I’ll go with you,” Will offered. “You might need someone to make sure you don’t fade away.” _

_ Nico shook his head. “No. I have to go alone. I’m heading to the Underworld first. Hopefully someone down there knows what’s going on. Things are happening.” He looked hesitant to say more. “The Doors of Death are open. Thanatos is chained. It’s all connected somehow.” _

_ “Thanatos is chained?” Will yelped. “You didn’t think to mention that before?” _

_ “Chiron knows,” Nico said simply. “I told him everything I can.” He stepped towards the shadow of a cabin. “I have to go. Make sure Annabeth is okay. Have Clovis give her good dreams if she needs them.” _

_ The shadows wrapped around Nico. When they returned to their normal state, Nico was gone. _

_ That night, Annabeth’s screams tore through the camp. Will and Clovis dragged her to the infirmary. She didn’t sleep at all that night or the following nights. _

.

“Me?”

Nico looked miserable and uncomfortable. “I’m so sorry, Will. That’s why I wanted to be your friend sooner this time. I should have told you, but I didn’t want you to choose because of who you were in my old timeline. So… so I understand if you are completely creeped out by me now, or if you don’t feel that way. If you don’t want to see me again, I won’t bother you, I swear. I-”

“Nico!” Will shouted, cutting the rambling boy off. “Stop. Please.”

The crushed expression on Nico’s face tore at Will’s heart. Nico flinched back like he had been slapped.

“My turn,” Will said with a small smile. “I don’t think I could top that, but the first time I saw you,  _ really  _ saw you I mean, was during the Battle of Manhattan. You were commanding a whole army of the dead, and I thought you were the coolest thing.” Will saw the corners of Nico’s mouth twitch upwards. “I wanted to meet you so bad. You were so different than the ten year-old I vaguely remembered. But I was so swamped in healing people, and Michael had just died so I was the Apollo counselor and I had no idea what to do. Then, you showed up to the infirmary, and I jumped at the chance to talk to you. And it was great! You took my mind off everything, and I could relax and be myself. You made me believe everything would be okay.” Will laughed. “You offered to practice archery with me even though we both suck.”

“I’m worse than you,” Nico mumbled. “At least you hit the target somewhere.”

“My point is that it doesn’t matter if you only befriended me because you like me,” Will stuttered. “That’s what you’re  _ supposed _ to do, Nico. You become friends and get to know each other,  _ then _ you can, what did you call it? ‘Confess your undying love’ for them?” Will grabbed Nico’s hands from the aviator jacket. “The fact that you  _ didn’t _ want to influence my choices by telling me until now means a lot to me. I just wish you would have said something earlier.”

Nico looked away and pulled his hands back.

“Because it would have been nice to know I didn’t have to try to compete with anyone however futile that attempt might be,” Will continued.

Nico’s eyes snapped up. “What?”

Will crossed his arms. “Ever since I found out you were dating someone before you came back, I assumed it was a girl and you didn’t even correct me. Which, you should have, even if you didn’t say it was me. I wouldn’t have judged you or anything.” Will raised an eyebrow. “I’m your friend no matter what, right? Anyway, I kept trying to figure out who she was so I could try and be better than her. I would have gotten more sleep if I knew my only competition was myself!”

Nico started to smile. “Sorry, tesoro.”

Will threw his hands into the air. “I don’t understand Italian,” he said in exasperation. “Do you mind telling me what that means?” He didn’t expect more than a snarky reply.

“Treasure.”

Will blinked. “Huh?”

“It… it means treasure,” Nico whispered. His face was pink.

“I had no idea you could be so sappy,” Will said.

Nico looked up at him. “So…?”

“I’m guessing you aren’t telling me this because I’m ‘not your type’ right?” Will teased.

Nico shoved him. “Don’t you dare start that. Percy’s bad enough.” He paused. “But… yeah. I’m not telling you this because of that.”

“Well in that case, Nico di Angelo, would you do me the honor of dating me? I hear that dating sons of Apollo is good for your health.”

“You’re such a dork,” Nico said, shaking his head. He gave Will a relieved smile. “But, William Solace, I accept your offer to date,” he laughed.

“It’s just Will,” Will complained. “And I think your answer was cheesier than my question, so that makes  _ you _ the dork.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Come on, tesoro,” he stumbled slightly, probably since Will now knew what that meant. “If we’re gone too long, Percy’s going to be impossible.”

“True.” Will reached for Nico’s hand. “Can I…?”

Nico’s hands disappeared into his pockets. “Can we just… for now?” he seemed to shrink in on himself.

“Okay,” Will agreed. “That’s fine with me.”

Nico looked at him gratefully. “Thanks.”

They walked in silence to the dining pavilion. When they reached the dining pavilion, Nico headed straight for the Poseidon table. Will trailed after him.

Jason and Piper were already there, and they were deep in discussion. Frank and Hazel were talking with Percy and Annabeth and they looked decidedly less awake than Jason and Piper.

Jason’s eyes flashed between the two of them. He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

“Hi,” Nico said, sitting down. Will sat down next to him.

“Hey, Nico, Will,” Piper said, glancing over. “Percy said you might be a little late, but Annabeth and I made them wait for you.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled. “Can we eat now? I’m hungry.” His face lit up. “Oh! My potluck food, right? Eight Happy Meals from McDonalds.”

“No,” Will whined. “Nico, that is so unhealthy!”

Nico sent him a challenging look. “Percy said favorite foods. Mine is Happy Meals. You can pick your cesar salad or whatever for your favorite food.”

Will ignored the health jibe and focused on the red box with a yellow smiley face. “I thought the box was demeaning?”

Nico shrugged and opened one of the boxes. He pulled out the meal and the toy. “What can I say? Nostalgia. Besides,” he held up the toy, “it’s Mythomagic themed this month. I’ll take yours if you don’t want it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. The Solangelo ship has sailed!


	76. Under the Stars (Piper LXXVI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

It was hard being back. Sure, Piper missed her siblings, and she was mostly kept busy running around helping the Romans prepare to leave, but Piper couldn’t help feeling like everything would come collapsing down.

Everyone looked at her with admiration for being one of the Seven. One from the team that stopped Gaea.

The way Piper saw it, she didn’t deserve any praise. Percy, Annabeth, and Nico were the team that stopped Gaea. They were the ones that had watched Jason, Frank, Hazel, Leo, and so many more lay down their lives. They were the ones that had to deal with the aftermath of that. They were the ones that had to go to Tartarus and back twice. They were the ones who had to meticulously plan every step they took so that they could prevent the war from escalating as far as it had in the future they came from. They had to go through the same war twice.

What had Piper done? Battled Khione and her brothers? Guided Annabeth through the temple in Sparta? Woken up Festus? Big whoop. She already did that in the old timeline.

She didn’t even want the attention. Piper had wished for that her whole life, with her dad’s fame, the paparazzi, the photos and scandal stories in the press. She met so many people who said,  _ Oh, I want to be famous! That would be so great! _ But they had no idea what it was really like. She’d seen the toll it took on her father. Piper wanted nothing to do with it.

Now here she was. Getting attention for things she didn’t even do.

“Hey, you ready for the campfire?” Jason’s voice jolted her from her thoughts. He smiled sheepishly from the doorway to the Aphrodite cabin. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

“Lost in my thoughts,” Piper waved him off. She pulled her sweatshirt on and exited her cabin with him. “Just thinking about… everything.”

Jason grimaced. “I get it. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what could have happened if we  _ hadn’t _ won. We could be hiding out on Olympus right now, Pipes. I…” he trailed off.

Piper squeezed his hand. “What?”

“I would be dead in a month,” Jason said quietly. “I was supposed to die. Frank and Hazel were supposed to die.  _ Leo _ was supposed to die  _ twice _ . It just hit me. You know?”

Yes. She knew. It was all she could think about.

But… they didn’t lose. They won. So why was it so hard to let it go and start thinking about their new future?

.

When they got to the campfire, the flames were subdued just like the first night she, Jason, and Leo had arrived. Although that might be more to do with the fact that they were early more than anything.

Percy waved them over. “Hey!”

“Aren’t we supposed to be sitting with our cabins?” Piper asked.

Annabeth snorted. “Percy and I haven’t followed that rule since last summer. Besides, I want to make some good memories with my friends. No more life-threatening memories.” She gestured to the seats next to her and Percy. “So we’ve claimed the Poseidon section for us and our friends tonight.”

“Nico and Will coming too then?” Jason asked, sitting next to Percy.

“Nico, yes,” Percy said with a grin. “Will, probably not. He’s got to lead his cabin in the sing-along. Well, he oversees it anyway. You ever hear him sing? I don’t get it. He can sing all those hymns to his father to heal people no problem, but if you give him the lyrics to a Katy Perry or Bruno Mars song and your ears will bleed.”

“Rude,” Nico said from behind them. He gave them an unimpressed look.

Percy snickered. “Defend him all you want, Nico.”

Nico raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. He seemed to be watching something over their heads. Piper turned around to see the Apollo cabin making their way to their seats. Most of them were armed with some type of instrument. A head of blonde hair made its way over.

“Did you get kicked out again?” Nico asked innocently.

Will Solace grumbled incoherently under his breath. “Laugh all you want. Just because my siblings don’t appreciate my talents-”

“No one appreciates your musical talents,” Nico corrected. “Remember Kayla tried to strangle you the last time you tried to sing?”

Piper laughed. “Wait, really?”

“Oh yeah,” Annabeth nodded. “It was the day Percy went missing actually. Will tried to sing, but ended up getting choked by Kayla five seconds later.”

“You’re so mean to me,” Will frowned.

Nico patted his shoulder. “There, there.”

“You know, you’re supposed to tell me my voice is great,” Will complained.

“You want me to lie and let you embarrass yourself?” Nico asked incredulously. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re my best friend?”

“Mind if we join you guys?” a dark haired girl asked. A boy who slightly resembled the Stoll brothers.

Will glanced at Piper and Jason. “This is Lou Ellen Blackstone and Cecil Markowitz. Hecate and Hermes.”

“Piper McLean,” Piper said with a smile. “Aphrodite.”

Lou Ellen nodded. “I’ve seen you around. You guys are pretty famous now. Dragged Will with you too.”

“Our little Will is all grown up,” Cecil grinned. He wiped fake tears from his eyes.

“Haha,” Will said sarcastically.

“So can we sit here?” Lou Ellen cut them off.

“Just don’t steal anything or turn me into a guinea pig or something,” Percy said seriously.

Jason gave him a strange look. “A guinea pig?”

“Don’t ask,” Annabeth said with a shake of her head. “It’s almost as bad as mentioning someone not being his t-y-p-e.”

Their conversation was cut off as the Apollo kids started up the songs. Even after all the months spent at Camp Half-Blood while the Argo II was being built, Piper still did not understand how the other demigods could get so excited and rowdy singing about how their grandma got dressed for war.

Everybody was singing and making gestures for the pieces of armor and joking around. It was quite possibly the weirdest thing Piper had ever seen, but it was kind of corny and fun. As the energy level got higher, the flames did too, turning from red to orange to gold.

Next to her and Jason, Percy and Annabeth leaned against each other. Percy was singing loudly with a silly face while Annabeth sang along quietly with a fond smile on her face.

In the row in front of them, Lou Ellen was making the described armor pieces appear using the Mist. Cecil and Will laughed when she started flicking the tiny pieces at unsuspecting campers. Nico and Will were sitting quite close, and - were their hands touching? Piper let a small smile spread across her face.

Finally the song ended with a lot of rowdy applause. Chiron trotted up.

“Very nice,” he said. “It’s been a long few weeks, so I do believe you are all very well deserving of a celebration.”

Everyone cheered. Piper thought she could see a few people tossing marshmallows into the air like graduation caps.

Chiron held up a hand. “Yes, yes. A few quick reminders. Counselors should be reminded that final suggestions for this summer’s bead are due by the end of the week. And please try not to stay up too late. There is still a curfew.”

With that, the Apollo cabin resumed their music, and some of the campers went down to start roasting their marshmallows.

This summer’s bead…

Piper hadn’t thought about that. She knew as head of Aphrodite cabin she would get to vote on the bead, but she hadn’t given it any thought.

“I still get the bead, right?” Percy was asking. “I mean, it’s not  _ my _ fault Hera kidnapped me and then sent us on a quest to defeat the giants and Gaea.”

“Yes, you still get a bead, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth answered. She gave Piper and Jason a thumbs up. “Hey, first bead for you two.”

“Yeah,” Piper said, forcing a smile. “First bead.”

What design would she want? The biggest event this summer had been the war with Gaea. So maybe a bead with an earth design? No. Not that.

Then it hit her. A design of a bronze dragon on fire.

.

That night the camp felt empty without the Romans. Piper already missed Hazel. She missed the creaking timbers of the Argo II and the constellations her lamp used to make against the ceiling of her cabin aboard the ship.

Lying in her bunk in Cabin Ten, she felt so restless she knew she wouldn’t be able to doze off. She kept thinking about Leo. Again and again she replayed what had happened in the fight against Gaea, trying to figure out how she could have failed Leo so badly.

Around two in the morning, she gave up trying to sleep. She sat up in bed and gazed out of the window. Moonlight turned the woods silver. The smells of the sea and the strawberry fields wafted on the breeze. She couldn’t believe that just a few days ago the Earth Mother had awoken and almost destroyed everything Piper held dear. Tonight seemed so peaceful… so normal.

Tap, tap, tap.

Piper nearly hit the top of her bunk. Jason was standing outside the window, rapping on the frame.

He grinned. “Come on.”

“What are you doing here?” she whispered. “It’s after curfew. The patrol harpies will shred you!”

“Just come on.”

Her heart racing, she took his hand and climbed out of the window. He led her to Cabin One and took her inside, where the huge statue of Hippie Zeus glowered in the dim light.

“Um, Jason… what exactly… ?”

“Check it out.” He showed her one of the marble columns that ringed the circular chamber. On the back, almost hidden against the wall, iron rungs led upward – a ladder. “Can’t believe I didn’t notice this sooner. Wait till you see!”

He began to climb. Piper wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, but her hands were shaking. She followed him up. At the top, Jason pushed open a small trapdoor. They emerged on the side of the domed roof, on a flat ledge, facing north. The whole of Long Island Sound spread out to the horizon. They were so far up, and at such an angle, that nobody below could possibly see them. The patrol harpies never flew this high.

“Look.” Jason pointed at the stars, which made a splash of diamonds across the sky – better jewels than even Hazel Levesque could have summoned.

“Beautiful.” Piper snuggled up against Jason and he put his arm around her. “But aren’t you going to get in trouble?’

“Who cares?” Jason asked.

Piper laughed quietly. “Who are you?”

He turned, his glasses pale bronze in starlight. “Jason Grace. Pleased to meet you.” He kissed her, and… okay, they had kissed before. But this was different. Piper felt like a toaster. All her coils heated to red-hot. Any more warmth and she’d start smelling like burnt toast. Jason pulled away enough to look in her eyes. “That night at the Wilderness School, our first kiss under the stars…”

“The memory,” Piper said. “The one that never happened.”

“Well… now it’s real. From this point on, we’re writing our own story, with a fresh start. And we just had our first kiss.”

“I’m afraid to tell you this after just one kiss,” Piper said. “But gods of Olympus, I love you.”

“Love you too, Pipes.”

She didn’t want to ruin the moment, but she couldn’t stop thinking of Leo. Jason must have sensed her feelings.

“Hey,” he said. “Leo is okay.”

“I know,” Piper sighed. “But I’m scared. All the changes we helped them make… what if one of them is Leo’s real death?”

“Don’t think like that,” Jason said firmly. “Okay? He’ll be back. And then we get to meet this Calypso.”

“Must be one heck of a girl to get Leo to go to all this trouble to go back for her,” Piper joked. They laughed and told stories about Leo Valdez, their best friend. They stayed on the roof until dawn broke, and Piper started to believe they could have a fresh start. She wondered when in that new start Leo would return. If it wasn’t within the next month, Piper would hunt him down herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Searches "songs from 2010" and finds Katy Perry and Bruno Mars. "Ah, yes, people should know who they are." That was pretty much my whole thought process when writing the campfire part. So anyway, if the artists seem a little outdated, that's because this takes place in 2010. Yep. A whole decade ago. Wow. In 2010, I was a wee fourth grader. I had never read a Percy Jackson book back then. I only saw the Lightning Thief movie in sixth grade two years later. Probably the only time I was thankful to have seen it. Got me interested in the books. But that's all that was good for. Well, and I guess it took like two days of class to watch so that was great!


	77. Back to Ogygia (Leo LXXVII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Dying was not fun. It actually kind of hurt. Leo cursed the other timeline version of himself for not telling Percy or Annabeth or even Nico about the amount of pain involved in dying. It felt like every cell in his body had exploded.

And then he woke up. 

The first thing he felt was the wind in his face, then the searing pain in his right arm. He was still on Festus’s back, still in the air. His eyes started to work again, and he noticed the large hypodermic needle retracting from his forearm. The empty injector buzzed, whirred and retreated into a panel on Festus’s neck.

“Thanks, buddy,” Leo groaned. “Man, being dead sucked. But that physician’s cure? That stuff is worse.”

Festus clicked and clattered in Morse code.

“No, man, I’m not serious,” Leo said. “I’m glad to be alive. And, yeah, I love you too. You did awesome.”

A metallic purr ran the length of the dragon’s body.

“Ugh, I wish I had gotten a warning. Like, couldn't my other self have told Percy or Annabeth or, hey, even Nico how much this dying and coming back to life thing hurts?” Leo rolled his neck. “Okay. Damage control.”

Leo scanned the dragon for signs of damage. Festus’s wings were working properly, though his left medius membrane was shot full of holes. His neck plating was partially fused, melted from the explosion, but the dragon didn’t seem to be in danger of crashing immediately.

Leo strained to remember what happened. He was pretty sure he had defeated Gaea, but based off what he remembered Percy and Annabeth telling him about his other self, that Leo was pretty sure he defeated Gaea too.

On to a more pressing issue: where were they?

Below was a solid white blanket of clouds. The sun shone directly overhead in a brilliant blue sky. So it was about noon… but of which day? How long had Leo been dead?

He opened the access panel in Festus’s neck. The astrolabe was humming away, the crystal pulsing like a neon heart. Leo checked his compass and GPS, and a grin spread across his face.

“Festus, good news!” he shouted. “Our navigation readings are completely messed up!”

_ Creak? _

“Yeah! Descend! Get us below these clouds and maybe –”

The dragon plummeted so fast that the breath was sucked out of Leo’s lungs. They broke through the blanket of white and there, below them, was a single green island in a vast blue sea.

Leo whooped so loudly they probably heard him in China. “YEAH! WHO DIED? WHO CAME BACK? WHO’S YOUR FREAKIN’ SUPERSIZED McSHIZZLE NOW, BABY? WOOOOOOOO!”

They spiralled towards Ogygia, the warm wind in Leo’s hair. He realized his clothes were in tatters, despite the magic they’d been woven with. His arms were covered in a fine layer of soot, like he’d just died in a massive fire… which, of course, he had. But he couldn’t worry about any of that.

She was standing on the beach, wearing jeans and a white blouse, her amber hair pulled back. Festus spread his wings and landed with a stumble. Apparently one of his legs was broken. The dragon pitched sideways and catapulted Leo face-first into the sand. So much for a heroic entrance.

Leo spat a piece of seaweed out of his mouth. Festus dragged himself down the beach, made clacking noises that meant  _ Ow, ow, ow _ . Leo looked up. Calypso stood over him, her arms crossed, her eyebrows arched.

“You’re late,” she announced. Her eyes gleamed.

“Sorry, Sunshine,” Leo said. “Traffic was murder.”

“You are covered with soot,” she noted. “And you managed to ruin the clothes I made for you, which were impossible to ruin.”

“Well, you know.” Leo shrugged. Somebody had released a hundred pachinko balls in his chest. “I’m all about doing the impossible.”

She offered her hand and helped him up. They stood nose to nose as she studied his condition. She smelled like cinnamon. Had she always had that tiny freckle next to her left eye? Leo really wanted to touch it.

She wrinkled her nose. “You smell –”

“I know. Like I’ve been dead. Probably because I have been. Oath to keep with a final breath and all, but I’m better now –”

She stopped him with a kiss. The pachinko balls slammed around inside him. He felt so happy he had to make a conscious effort not to burst into flames.

When she finally let him go, her face was covered in soot smudges. She didn’t seem to care. She traced her thumb across his cheekbone.

“Leo Valdez,” she said.

Nothing else – just his name, as if it were something magical.

“That’s me,” he said, his voice ragged. “So, um… you want to get off this island?”

Calypso stepped back. She raised one hand and the winds swirled. Her invisible servants brought two suitcases and set them at her feet. “What gave you that idea?”

Leo grinned. “Packed for a long trip, huh?”

“I don’t plan on coming back.” Calypso glanced over her shoulder, at the path that led to her garden and her cavern home. “Where will you take me, Leo?”

“Somewhere to fix my dragon, first,” he decided. “And then… wherever you want. How long was I gone, seriously?”

“Time is difficult on Ogygia,” Calypso said. “It felt like forever.”

Leo tried to remain calm. Last time, he had only shown up months later. Had months passed since the battle now?

“Are you okay?”

Leo shrugged. “Just worried about my friends. They might be mad if I let them think I was dead for months. I'll have to send them a message. You know, lol I'm alive!”

Calypso looked amused. “We should hurry then.”

“If you say so,” Leo said. He glanced at her. “So once you leave Ogygia,” he said, “do you stay immortal or what?”

“I have no idea.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“More than okay.”

“Well, then!” He turned towards his dragon. “Buddy, you up for another flight to nowhere in particular?”

Festus blew fire and limped around.

“So we take off with no plan,” Calypso said. “No idea where we’ll go or what problems await beyond this island. Many questions and no tidy answers?”

Leo turned up his palms. “That’s how I fly, Sunshine. But I have  _ part  _ of a plan. Let my friends know I’m alive. Can I get your bags?”

“Absolutely.”

Five minutes later, with Calypso’s arms around his waist, Leo spurred Festus into flight. The bronze dragon spread his wings, and they soared into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random note, but I just realized that whatever happened in Albania didn't happen in this story. Speaking of Albania... anyone know any good fics about that? I've read some where Nico, Reyna, and Coach meet Voldemort which were very entertaining.
> 
> That aside, seven more chapters till the end!
> 
> And a reminder for you all to stay safe and healthy! Take care, y'all! And make sure you take the time to keep up with your education. I know I'm struggling with the online class thing right now.
> 
> (wow, I sound like a mom right now)


	78. ¡Vaya con Queso! (Nico LXXVIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable blurb from Hidden Oracle

When he got the note, Nico wanted to kill something. It had only been a week since the end of the war, and Leo was still MIA.

Not anymore.

It was lunch time at Camp Half-Blood and things were slowly getting back to normal. Jason would usually join him at the Hades table or invite him to sit at the Zeus table for meals. Sometimes, Percy and Annabeth would invite themselves to sit with Jason and Nico and whichever table they were sitting at that day.

Not that Nico was complaining about the company, but Jason had inferred that Nico and Will were now dating despite neither of the two having said anything about it yet. The son of Jupiter would spend some meals pestering Nico about how they got together or when they were going to go on a date or if they would like to go on a triple date with Percy and Annabeth and Jason and Piper. It was getting old. And annoying.

So when the flying scroll floated down from the sky to land in front of Nico, it was a welcome surprise. At least it got Jason to shut up. However, Nico’s good mood lasted for approximately two seconds.

A flickering hologram appeared above the surface of the scroll: Leo Valdez, looking impish as usual with his dark wispy hair, his mischievous grin, and his diminutive stature. His jeans, blue work shirt, and tool belt were speckled with machine oil.

“Hey, guys!” Leo said.

The dining pavilion fell even more silent than it already was.

“Sorry to leave you like that,” he continued. “Bad news: I died. And it hurt. Ow. Thanks for warning me. Good news: I got better! Had to go rescue Calypso.  _ Oath to keep with a final breath _ and all that. We’re both fine now. Anyway, I saw that the world didn’t end or anything, so I assume we defeated Gaea. You’re welcome, by the way. So we’re taking Festus to-” The image guttered like a flame in a strong breeze, disrupting Leo’s voice. “Wanted to let you know I’m alive. Back as soon as-” Static. “Cook tacos when-” More static. “ _ ¡Vaya con queso! _ Love ya!” The image winked out.

Jason stared at the scroll in shock. “Did… did he just…”

“I’m going to kill him,” Nico said through gritted teeth.

“He’s blowing us off for his girlfriend,” Jason sputtered. “What… I… doesn’t he… what?”

Piper appeared behind Jason, eyes fiery. “Was that Leo Valdez?” she asked dangerously. She replayed the message only to get the same results. “He’s not  _ coming back _ yet?”

“Not cool,” Percy said from Nico’s right.

Nico jumped. “Gah! What are you doing, Percy?”

“Settle down!” Chiron shouted over the exclamations, whispers, and theories buzzing around the campers. He trotted over to the Hades table. “May I hear the message?”

Nico replayed the scroll for him. Chiron’s facial expression morphed from confusion to surprise.

“Didn’t we say he should  _ not _ keep us waiting as long as last time?” Percy hissed to Nico.

“He did say that he saw the world didn’t end,” Nico pointed out. “Maybe he just assumed since we weren’t possibly getting slaughtered by Gaea and her giants that it would be okay to take his time.” The thought still made him angry. Jason and Piper were Leo’s closest friends. They had  _ mourned _ his death even though Leo had probably come back to life. Didn’t they deserve some type of closure? Seeing Leo alive and well in person, not just a hologram?

Chiron inhaled sharply. “Well, I suppose this is good news at any rate. Can one of you-”

“I’ll hang onto the scroll,” Nico said irritably. “I want to listen to it again whenever I want to get mad.” He shoved the scroll into his pocket. “Stupid Valdez.”

.

“So Leo’s alive,” Will said cheerfully. He was sitting on a picnic table with his feet swinging while Nico was slouched on the bench.

Nico frowned. “Can we not talk about Valdez? I'm not happy with him.”

Will held up his hands defensively. “Sorry. But, hey! At least we know he lived!”

“I said no talking about him.”

“Fine, fine. What  _ do _ you want to talk about then?”

Nico was silent. “I don’t know. Anything else.”

“Have you, you know, told anyone we’re…” Will trailed off.

Of course he would ask that, Nico cursed.

It wasn’t like they made a big secret out of it. They just hadn’t said anything to anyone about dating yet. Not to mention, Nico was still a little apprehensive about the whole Camp knowing.

“I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to tell anyone yet,” Will said quickly. “I’m okay with that.”

Nico sighed. “I… well, Percy and Annabeth probably know. Jason definitely knows. He keeps asking me-” he cut himself off. “Nevermind. Anyway, I just… it’s different now than it was before. I know that and I don’t even  _ remember _ much from the 1930s, but everything is telling me not to tell anyone.” He frowned. “It doesn’t make sense,” he complained. “I was fine with everyone knowing before. I mean, Annabeth put Percy, you, and me in charge of Camp Olympus as co-leaders with her.  _ Everyone _ knew about us. All the one thousand people left in the world.”

“Camp Olympus?” Will asked interestedly. “We were in charge of a camp?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Of course you would catch that. I forgot we never mentioned that. Yeah. It was Annabeth’s idea to start up a new camp. You came up with the name actually. Percy wanted to call it Camp Half-Jupiter or Camp Jupiter-Blood.”

“What are those? Bad cocktails?” Will asked, nose wrinkled.

“Thank you,” Nico said exasperatedly. “That’s what I said. Camp Olympus was supposed to be for Greek  _ and _ Roman demigods instead of having two separate camps. We were there for about a week maybe? You know, before the whole time travel thing.”

“Have you guys figured out what happened to send you back in time?” Will asked.

Nico shook his head. “No. Annabeth doesn’t even have an idea. I mean,  _ maybe _ Kronos did something to us when we were in Tartarus, but there’s no way he should even have that kind of power.” He looked up at Will. “I’ve never heard of any myths on time travel either. Have you?”

“Not really,” Will admitted. “The only thing that could come to mind would be Kronos, but even he can only slow down time around him, not reverse it completely.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I was wondering…” he trailed off.

“What?”

“Movie night?” Will suggested with a sheepish grin. “You are seriously behind the times, you know. You missed Star Wars and Harry Potter.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Oh my gods. You whined about how I never saw a single Star Wars movie before in the other timeline too.”

“Nico, it’s Star Wars. You  _ have _ to watch them.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Nico grumbled. “As long as you let me eat McDonalds.”

“Deal,” Will said quickly.

Nico gave him a strange look. “You gave in faster than I thought.”

“Star Wars is worth it,” Will said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Star Wars. But, you know, the original trilogy and the new trilogy are the best. Not... not the prequels.
> 
> Anyway, yeah, I had to write about them receiving Leo's note.


	79. End of Summer (Percy LXXIX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure what to say. I think from here on out anything from the books is probably little blurbs from Hidden Oracle? References maybe? That is where I'm drawing all the information of what happened after Blood of Olympus from. Yep.
> 
> On with the story!

It was a much more cheerful end to the summer than Percy remembered the few weeks of summer left after the Titan war. That might have had to do with the fact that most of the Camp had thought Leo was dead, but now that he had revealed himself to be alive, everyone’s spirits had been lifted.

Frank and Hazel were irritated with Leo when Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Nico, and Will had Iris Messaged them.

“I’m going to kill him,” Hazel growled.

“We have first dibs,” Piper scowled. “Once the summer term is over, Jason and I are leaving to look for them.” She crossed her arms. “I can’t believe him. Did he or did he not hear that we were all worried for him in the other timeline when he didn’t come back right away.”

“At least he let us know he was alive,” Percy offered. “I mean, last time he kinda just showed up on Olympus. This time he sent that scroll.”

Frank scoffed. “That’s not really that reassuring, Percy. We’re his friends, right? Leo blew up. He blew up in a huge explosion. I know I want to see him in person after something like that.”

Well, consider spirits lifted and also patience wearing thin.

.

_ “So she’s the new Oracle,” Percy found himself saying. He frowned. “What?” _

_ Annabeth blinked. “What happened? Where… where are we?” She glanced around. _

_ “Hey!” someone shouted to them. “Can you give us a hand? Injured campers gotta get to the infirmary!” _

_ “Injured what?” Nico di Angelo mumbled from behind Percy. _

_ Percy jumped and whirled around. “Don’t do that!” he yelped. Then he frowned. “Dude, when did you get a new jacket?” _

_ Nico tilted his head. “What do you mean?” _

_ “I mean, I thought your jacket got ditched for that loud topical number,” Percy smirked, remembering the tropical shirt Nico had gotten rid of at the first possible moment. “But you got a new one? Where?” _

_ Nico glanced down and did a double take. “I swear, I don’t have any idea how this happened. What’s going on?” _

_ “Percy, Annabeth, di Angelo! Come on!” _

_ Finally, Percy looked in the direction of the voice. He gapped. At the top of Half-Blood Hill, dozens of teens were passing Thalia’s tree. Some were supporting clearly injured friends, while others were carrying stretchers with the more grievously injured. _

_ “Holy Hera,” Annabeth breathed. “We’re at Camp Half-Blood.” _

.

The bead that summer was a swirl of purple and orange. Nine designs were etched into the bead as well. A blue trident, a grey owl, a white dove, a lightning bolt, a fiery hammer, gold gems, and a red sword. Much smaller was a skull and a bow and arrow.

Piper had been the one to suggest a tribute to Leo and Festus for the design, but had abruptly changed her mind as soon as Leo’s scroll arrived.

An alarmed Katie Gardner had quickly suggested the purple and orange bead as a symbol of the new alliance between the camps. Pollux had then added that they should put the symbols of the Seven on the bead as well.

Percy had pretty much forced everyone to agree that Nico and Will should be represented.

Will protested this.

“I didn’t even  _ do _ anything,” he said weakly.

Nico raised an eyebrow. “You  _ were  _ the demigod needed to help Apollo and Artemis kill Orion, weren’t you?”

“Only because I had my dad’s blessing,” Will pointed out. “I didn’t really do anything.”

“You helped me get the Athena Parthenos to Camp.”

“Yeah, and I screwed that up. You were unconscious for days.”

“I should have held on tighter.”

“Well, I should have too.”

“Solace, just accept the addition of your symbol.”

“Oh my gods, shut up!” Lou Ellen grumbled. “Honestly, I swear you both argue like an old married couple.”

Percy choked, and started laughing his head off. Of course, Lou Ellen had to say that, he thought mirthfully as Nico’s pale white face turned tomato red in seconds. Will also had a distinct flush to his cheeks.

“At least make our’s smaller than the Seven’s,” Will mumbled.

Although they hadn’t said anything, Percy was almost certain that Nico and Will were together now.

.

_ “No way!” Nico hissed. “That is so creepy, Percy. It’s weird enough being in the past, but now you want me to go up to Will Solace and befriend him? This might only be temporary. What if we screw up and then when whatever did this undoes this, there’s no future to go back to?” _

_ Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Stop being such a downer, Nico. We are going to figure this out, but in the meantime, we need to continue on like normal.” _

_ “Yeah, what would be creepy is you making eyes at Will without ever talking to him,” Percy said with a grin. “I mean, that would be stalkery levels of creepy. Making eyes at your best friend is less creepy. Annabeth and I did it for years.” _

_ Nico smacked his arm. “I do not make eyes.” _

_ “Sure you don’t,” Percy agreed. “Just go to the infirmary and tell him you have to register your medical info or whatever. I mean, you’ll be spending  _ a lot _ of time in there, right?” he smirked. _

_ “Whatever,” Nico muttered. He trudged off in the direction of the infirmary. _

_ Annabeth turned to look at Percy. “Hey, I didn’t want to say this in front of Nico, but… I don’t think this is temporary.” _

_ “Not temporary? But then that means-” _

_ “We get a second chance,” Annabeth finished. _

_ Percy thought about that for a second. They had a second chance. A chance to save lives that they hadn’t been able to save. His heart pang as he thought about Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo. His friends. They could be saved. _

_ But they had as good a life as they could have gotten after the conclusion of the war. Camp Olympus wasn’t anywhere close to what Camp Half-Blood meant to Percy, but it could have been one day. The past four months he had spent with Annabeth, Nico, and Will had been pretty good considering all they had been through. _

_ Will… _

_ Of course, that was why Annabeth didn’t want to tell Nico they might not be leaving this situation anytime soon. And why she was so insistent on Nico befriending the young son of Apollo. Percy would admit, Will was good for Nico, so when Annabeth suggested Nico befriend Will, he had been all for it. _

_ “We have to make this work, then,” Percy said firmly. “If this really is a second shot at life, then we have to beat Gaea. We have to beat her that day on Half-Blood Hill. Gaea loses on August 1st. No matter what.” _

.

“You have to IM us as soon as you find him,” Annabeth said to Piper and Jason.

Piper nodded. “Oh definitely.” She pulled Percy and Annabeth in for a big huge. “I’ll miss you guys. You promise to keep in touch?”

“Obviously,” Percy rolled his eyes. He shook his head. “Wow. It’s going to be really strange now. Not seeing you guys.” He exhaled. “Ugh. I’m still trying to process the fact that we’re all here and alive.”

“Shocking,” Nico agreed.

“Make sure you come by on the weekends,” Will said, crossing his arms. “You guys live in New York. Same state as Camp.”

“Are you sure you want Percy back?” Annabeth joked. “Thought by now you’d all be done with his daily dose of crazy.”

Nico snorted. “After time travel, what else could possibly be any more crazy than that?”

Percy glanced down to the road where a blue Prius waited idly. He smiled fondly at the barely visible from this distance dents in the hood.

“Hey,” he said suddenly. “Do you want to meet my mom and Paul? I’ve been waiting a… a  _ long _ time to introduce you guys.” He found himself getting slightly choked up.

Annabeth squeezed his hand. “Good idea.”

They walked down the hill towards the blue Prius. A woman threw open the passenger side door and ran at Percy.

“PERCY!” she shouted.

“Mom!” Percy yelled, running towards her.

Sally Jackson squeezed Percy into a tight hug. “Oh, Percy, I was so worried about you. I got your phone call about being on a quest!” She squeezed him tighter. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

A man got out of the driver's seat. He came around towards them with a relieved look.

“Hi, Paul,” Percy wheezed.

Paul grinned at his step-son. “You had us worried. Disappearing without a trace. Mysterious phone call.”

“Not my choice,” Percy promised. “Hera kidnapped me and took my memories. Kinda sucked, but, uh, I wanted to introduce you guys to some new friends.” He gestured to said friends behind him.

“Hi, Sally, Paul,” Annabeth greeted Percy’s parents with a warm hug.

“Hey, Annabeth,” Paul said.

Sally gave her as big a hug as she gave Percy. “Thank you for finding him, Annabeth.”

“I can’t take  _ all _ the credit,” Annabeth laughed. “Our friends helped a lot.”

Jason held out a hand. “Jason Grace, son of Jupiter.” He frowned. “Uh, Zeus, I guess.”

Percy laughed at the surprised face Jason made when Sally pulled him into a hug.

“Piper McLean,” Piper said with a smile. “Daughter of Aphrodite. You’ll have to excuse my boyfriend’s strict Roman upbringing,” she teased Jason.

Jason grumbled. “I didn’t know she was a hugger.”

“Sally’s great,” Annabeth said. “Best mortal parent. Paul’s pretty awesome too,” she added.

“Frank and Hazel aren’t here,” Percy explained. “Son of Mars and daughter of Pluto. They’re at the Roman camp, but next time they visit I’ll have them come meet you guys.”

Paul shook his head. “Romans. I hardly believed it when you said the Greek gods were real, but now there’s Roman gods too.”

“Believe me, it’s not the strangest thing,” Percy muttered. He glanced at Will and Nico. “Come on. Nico, you’ve met my parents, but Will hasn’t.”

“Hi, Nico,” Sally greeted him warmly. She didn’t move to hug him which was probably just fine with Nico. Given the amount of times Nico had shadow traveled in to see Percy and Annabeth a year ago, she knew he didn’t like physical contact.

“Hi, Ms. Jackson,” Nico said.

Jason looked incredulous. “When did you meet Percy’s mom?”

“When I took Percy to the Underworld to swim in the Styx,” Nico said flatly. “Plus, I went to visit him and Annabeth a few times before he went missing. And I told them when Percy showed up at Camp Jupiter.” His cheeks flushed a light pink.

“You did?” Percy asked in surprise.

Nico looked down. “Yeah. I mean, we had decided to pretty much stay the same, so… just the reasons were different.”

Translation. The first time Nico told Percy’s parents because of his crush. This time was because Nico had been trying to keep things relatively consistent with the previous time.

“I’ll win you back over one day,” Percy teased.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“I understood none of that,” Paul shook his head.

“Join the club,” Piper muttered.

Will smiled brightly. “I’m Will Solace, son of Apollo,” he said cheerfully. He happily accepted Sally’s hug.

.

_ They had allowed Clarisse the joy of getting to dump them in the lake to ‘cool down’ after their somewhat staged get together. _

_ As much as Percy would have liked to reenact that long underwater kiss, he and Annabeth had much more pressing issues to talk about. _

_ “I’m worried about tonight,” Annabeth admitted. _

_ Percy stilled. “Nightmares. Maybe it will be okay. We should at least try to make it through the night in our own cabins. I mean, you  _ know _ I’ll be missing in a few months.” _

_ Annabeth exhaled shakily. “You’re right. Besides, if we want to change things, we can’t make it too obvious, right? So it stands to reason that we might not even have nightmares.” _

_ They had nightmares. Percy was woken by a frantic Nico and shadow traveled to the Athena cabin where he woke up Annabeth. _

_ “Excuse us,” Percy said firmly as he dragged Annabeth and Nico out of the Athena cabin. _

_ “I’m staying with you,” Annabeth said instantly. “Chiron can’t argue right now. Nico’s staying in the Poseidon cabin at least for now. We’ll have to come up with something to tell him tomorrow, but for now…” _

_ Percy wrapped his arms around her and they stood there in each other’s embrace for a while. _

.

Iris messages stopped working right in mid-September. The calls had been particularly splotchy and grainy over long distances to Camp Jupiter or Jason and Piper in LA for most of the month, but then some of their IMs started ending abruptly or not connecting at all.

“No one knows what’s going on,” Nico admitted the last time he visited Percy and Annabeth. “I tried IMing Hazel last night, but it didn’t connect. I got worried, so I shadow traveled there to check up on her. She was fine and there was no reason the call didn’t make it.”

“Could this have something to do with Apollo’s disappearance?” Annabeth asked.

Percy frowned. “But Hermes and Iris are the ones who do messages, not Apollo. How would  _ he _ affect Iris Messages?”

“I don’t know, but Will and his siblings haven’t been able to contact their dad,” Nico added hesitantly. “I think something might be wrong. I mean, Hazel said that Apollo told her, Frank, Will, and Leo that Python had taken over Delphi which explains why Rachel can’t see the future, but it’s got to be connected, right?”

“I hope not,” Percy shuddered. “Python being connected to the IM failures… bad news.”

“We’ll look into it more at Camp,” Annabeth said. “We’ll be there next weekend, so we can have a meeting and suggest this with all the heads and Chiron.”

They never got to Camp that next weekend. Instead, the following weekend after they were supposed to have gone to Camp, Percy and Annabeth stumbled into Camp Half-Blood by accident.

“Okay, we have some major problems,” Annabeth said once Chiron gathered all the heads together. “Last weekend Percy, Nico, and I wanted to bring up something, but obviously Percy and I never made it to Camp.”

Butch looked grim. “We’ve been having more problems like that. A few days ago a satyr was supposed to arrive with a new half-blood. When they didn’t show, we sent out scouting parties.”

“Long story short, a few of the parties got lost,” Nico added. “I ended up having to shadow travel around the borders to find them. Everyone’s okay, but shaken.”

“So communication and travel is unreliable,” Lou Ellen summarized. “Great. And we don’t even have our Oracle to get a quest to fix this.”

Percy grimaced. “Even if Rachel was here, I don’t think she could give you a prophecy.”

“The last time Nico was at Camp Jupiter, Hazel told him about when we met Apollo and Artemis in Delos,” Will explained. “I forgot about it until he mentioned it.”

“Python has control over Delphi,” Nico said bluntly. “Rachel won’t be able to give prophecies until Python is taken care of and Apollo gets control back.”

“But Apollo is MIA,” Connor Stoll grumbled.

“Hopefully he shows up soon,” Chiron said, but he looked worried. “However, Mr. D has not returned yet. I had thought he would.”

“Maybe Zeus got rid of his sentence here,” Percy suggested hopefully.

Given the look on Chiron’s face, that was not the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... it was unclear about the communications failures. I figured it wouldn't be a sudden change, but more like a gradual thing where it gets worse. Borders turn some people around, some people can get in. Iris Messages are grainy like bad reception and random calls get dropped. Anyway, that's my interpretation of it.
> 
> Also, I wasn't sure about the bead. I feel like they'd want to honor Leo, but the Seven, Will, and Nico know he's probably alive, but still kinda unsure and then when they get his scroll they're all super mad that Leo's taking his own sweet time, so Piper insists on a different design. Plus the quest of seven was pretty big and the whole Romans exist thing was huge too.


	80. It's a Mood Disorder (Nico LXXX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you can all guess what this one is about...

“...visit soon,” Hazel said through the static Iris Message. “Just in time...oween. Want to see…” The rainbow shuddered and then Hazel was gone.

Nico groaned and slumped back down to lay flat on his back on his bed.

“Hey, Death Boy,” Will said cheerfully, opening the door to the Hades cabin.

Nico threw him a glare. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?”

Will held up a cardboard box. “Time for decorating! Halloween is in a few weeks and you still haven’t decorated your cabin,” he said, ignoring Nico’s question.

“I don’t want to decorate,” Nico grumbled. “Stupid Iris Messages aren’t working. I mean, I know the connection’s always been spotty between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter because Iris is Greek, but it’s never dropped out like it is now. I just want to talk to my sister  _ without _ having to shadow travel across a whole country.” He looked up at Will. “It’s been almost three months since your dad went missing, and the Iris Messages started acting up. Not to mention all the border troubles we’ve been having. And you’re worried about decorations?”

Will put the box on the ground and sat on the bed next to Nico. “Well… yeah. There isn’t really anything I can do about any of that. So if I don’t worry about something else, then I’ll go crazy trying to figure out what I  _ can _ do. I mean, back in the Acropolis, Zeus seemed  _ really _ angry. Jason was hoping Artemis could help Apollo get out of too much trouble, but he doesn’t seem very confident about that. You didn’t see him, Nico. It was more than angry.” Will shuddered. “I have to believe my dad’s fine.”

Nico sat up and they sat in silence on the bed. Will’s feet swung back and forth, rocking the bed frame as they went. Nico fought down a smile.

“How’s Hazel?”

“From what I can tell, she’s good. Her and Frank are coming for Halloween,” Nico answered. Then he frowned. “Or she was asking me to visit. I really don’t know. Which, I can’t leave unless it’s on, what did Chiron call it? ‘Official Camp Business’ or something?” Nico crossed his arms. “Stupid border doesn’t work. Keeps turning us around.” He froze. “Will? You don’t think something happened to Thalia, do you? Last time the borders failed was when Luke poisoned her tree.”

Will looked pale. “I’m not sure. It might be something to bring up with Chiron.” He looked down at the box of decorations at his feet. “Um, so do you want to go get lunch? Decoration mood has gone away.”

“Decoration mood can stay away,” Nico said with a smirk.

.

“HOLY HADES! WHAT-?”

Nico tried very hard not to burst out laughing when he heard Nyssa’s shout of surprise. The past few days zombies had mysteriously been appearing whenever Nico sat down to eat. At first, most of the campers were amused given that it was October and the Halloween spirit was in the air. Then, after the zombies had started grabbing people’s ankles, the novelty wore off quickly.

“Mr. di Angelo,” Chiron sighed. “Please control your… er, friends.”

Nico looked up innocently. “Chiron, I swear I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“I told you, it’s a mood disorder,” Will said, appearing at Nico’s side. “I can fix the problem, Chiron.” He handed Chiron a piece of paper. “It’s a doctor’s note. From his doctor. Which is me. Which I am?” He frowned. “Me. I’m his doctor.”

Chiron read over the note and raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying Mr. di Angelo has a  _ mood disorder _ which is the cause of all the… zombies?”

Will nodded. “It was okay when Jason and Percy and Annabeth were here because they would sit together, but now that Jason’s back in LA and Percy’s away until summer, Nico’s all alone. Hence the zombies.”

“And you propose what, exactly?” Chiron asked suspiciously.

“He just needs to sit with people for meals,” Will explained. “Like, say, my cabin. We’d be very happy to have him sit with us.”

A few more zombies crawled out of the ground and started chasing two Aphrodite girls who screamed. Sherman Yang and the Ares cabin were swinging their swords wildly trying to stop the zombies.

Chiron sighed. “Fine. Just make sure this,” he gestured to the zombies roaming wild, “doesn’t happen again.”

Will shot Nico a triumphant look as soon as Chiron’s back was turned. “You heard him, Death Boy. Doctor’s orders, sit with the doctor for meals.”

“You know you aren’t actually certified yet,” Nico pointed out as Will dragged him to the Apollo table. “And I doubt you have the necessary psychology training to be able to deem this a mood disorder.”

“I’m the most qualified doctor at Camp,” Will said matter-of-factly. “Now, sit down.”

“Hey, Nico,” Kayla said, glancing up from her food as Nico sat down. “Will’s master plan worked?”

“You mean Will’s plan to get Nico to go- OW! Kayla, what was that for?” Austin complained.

Nico rolled his eyes and watched as the zombies returned to the ground and disappeared much to the relief of the other campers.

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Whatever.  _ I _ liked the zombies. You know, when they weren’t grabbing anyone. I’m surprised though, Will. You hate haunted houses, and having Nico make zombies run around is like a haunted house in itself.”

Nico gave Will an unimpressed look. “You hate haunted houses?”

Will’s cheeks turned red. “Shut up, Nico. You’d be scared too.”

“No I wouldn’t,” Nico snorted. “If anything, those silly mortals in costumes would be scared of  _ me _ .”

“Sure. I bet you’d scream and start swearing in Italian.”

“Will, I’ve been to Ta- to the Underworld,” Nico stuttered. “I’ve taken walks through the Field of Punishment with my father. I lived in the Labyrinth for a while. Nothing can scare me.” He glanced at Kayla and Austin and prayed they hadn’t caught his slip. This time, he never went to Tartarus. No one could know he  _ had _ been otherwise they’d start asking questions that Nico wasn’t really sure he wanted them to ask.

“Let’s go to a haunted house,” Austin suggested. “Us four. Cecil and Lou Ellen can come too if they want. Percy and Annabeth too.”

“You want Nico and Percy together on the same trip to a haunted house?” Will yelped. “Two kids of the Big Three? That’s like a beacon for an all you can eat buffet for monsters. And they’ll blend in with all the mortals  _ dressed up _ like monsters.”

“Two kids of the Big Three who can take on an army of monsters in their sleep,” Nico said smugly. “We’re all highly capable, Will. You’re just scared.”

“Am not.”

“Are too,” Nico said in unison with Kayla and Austin.

Will glowered at them. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll got with you to your stupid haunted house trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I about died when I read this in Hidden Oracle. "Not that Nico would ever misuse his powers to get what he wants." Love them doctor's notes.
> 
> Anyway, this was my take on what might have been the zombie incident that lead to the mood disorder doctors note.
> 
> Oh my gods, four more chapters! Super excited!


	81. Friendsgiving (Nico LXXXI)

“I want to tell Hazel,” Nico announced as Will switched out the DVDs of  _ Deathly Hallows Part 1 _ for  _ Deathly Hallows Part 2 _ .

“Hmm?” Will asked absently. He closed the DVD case.

Warmth flooded Nico’s face. He cleared his throat. “About… us. It’s been over three months and I think I’m ready.”

Will’s face lit up. “Really? Thanksgiving then? We’re still going to Camp Jupiter for that, right?”

It had been Percy’s idea really, which surprised Nico because he would have thought Annabeth or Piper came up with the idea. But, considering New Rome was a safe place for large demigod gatherings, Percy had suggested he, Annabeth, Will, and Nico meet Jason, Piper, Frank, and Hazel in New Rome for a ‘friendsgiving’. Whatever that was.

“Yeah,” Nico nodded. “Uh, speaking of that, what exactly is ‘friendsgiving’?”

Will snorted. “Thanksgiving, but instead of celebrating with family, you celebrate with friends. I don’t really know where it came from, but…” he shrugged.

“And Thanksgiving is celebrating some dinner a bunch of Europeans and Native Americans had hundreds of years ago.”

“Well, when you say it like  _ that _ it sounds stupid.”

“So why do you celebrate it?”

Will sighed. “It’s about celebrating what you’re thankful for, Nico. Like, I’m thankful for all my friends. That sort of thing.”

“Well, I’m thankful the world didn’t end,” Nico grumbled. He frowned. “What does this have to do with a four hundred year old dinner?”

“I imagine the colonists were pretty thankful that the Natives helped teach them how to survive,” Will said dryly. “I also imagine both parties were thankful for a good meal.”

“Okay, now shut up. Voldemort’s robbing Dumbledore’s grave again. Did the wizards use magic because I’ve never seen a corpse that looks  _ that _ good a year after death.”

“Thought you said shut up.”

“Shut up.”

Will started laughing after Nico said that. Nico rolled his eyes.

.

His first official Thanksgiving, and Nico was currently half-passed out in Will’s arms.

“Maybe should’ve asked Jules-Albert drive us,” Nico slurred.

Will gave him an unimpressed look. “I  _ told _ you. But no. You insisted on shadow traveling us. It’s only been a few months since you traveled around the world in  _ one trip _ , Nico! I told you to take it easy!”

“Oh my gods, Nico!”

Hazel ran towards them with Frank trailing at her heels. She helped Will support Nico between them.

“Hi, Hazel,” Nico greeted, blinking slowly. “Hey, Frank.”

“What did you do?” Hazel demanded.

Nico shrugged, which was kind of hard to do with both his arms looped around Will and Hazel’s shoulders. “Shadow traveled us. Here. For Percy’s friendsgiving thing.” He paused and tilted his head. “Probably should have just driven with Jules-Albert though. I’m tired,” he complained. “I haven’t been tired from shadow traveling short distances since…” he frowned. “Uh, a few months after the Titan war? The first time.”

“He can lay down in my bed in the barracks,” Hazel said, though her voice was oddly distorted. Like from the other end of a tunnel. Or underwater.

Nico closed his eyes.

.

When he woke up, Nico glanced around in confusion.

“Hazel helped me bring you to her bed,” Will explained from the chair next to the bed. He grinned. “Next time, you’ll listen to me? It’s lucky we got here early. You slept for an hour. Hazel was going to show me around, but I told her I’d wait for you.”

“Hey!” Hazel appeared in the barracks. She smiled brightly. “You’re up! Jason and Piper got here a few minutes ago. They’re at a cafe in New Rome. Percy and Annabeth should be here soon though.”

Nico swallowed. “Um, Hazel? There’s something I wanted to tell you. About what I said back in August.” He fell silent under Hazel’s questioning look.

Will sighed. “I’m dating your brother,” he said.

Hazel, for her credit, didn’t react much other than a blink of surprise. Her mouth spread into a big smile moments later. “Really? That’s great! I… I’m really happy for you both. How long have you…?”

“Since August,” Nico mumbled. “I just wanted to wait to tell people.”

Hazel nodded understandingly. “I get it. Now,” she said, looking at Will. “You dare to break his heart then I will make sure you live to regret it. Our father is the god of the Underworld and is in charge of your eternity. Plus, Nico and I can go wherever we choose in the Underworld without much consequence. I don’t care if you’re in Elysium. I will find you and I will hurt you.”

“Gods above,” Nico muttered.

Hazel fixed him with a look. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you threatened  _ my _ boyfriend. I was just returning the favor.”

“I can take care of myself!”

“And I can't? I’m your  _ sister _ , Nico! I get to take care of you too!”

Will laughed awkwardly. “Shouldn’t we be getting to the others,” he said weakly.

“Shut up, Will!” Nico and Hazel shouted.

.

“Thank you for blue food,” Percy said reverently, staring at his plate of blue thanksgiving food. How he managed to get blue turkey, blue cranberry sauce, blue yams, and blue mashed potatoes to name a few was beyond Nico. “Thank you for our second chance to start the apocalypse with a nose bleed. Thank you for people who helped stop the apocalypse early. Thank you for people who I am their type.” He shot Nico a grin to which Nico responded with an eye roll. “Thank you for Annabeth. Thank you for Jason. Thank you for Piper. Thank you for Frank. Thank you for Hazel. Thank you for Nico even though he said I’m not his type. Thank you for Will. Thank you for-”

“Alright!” Annabeth finally cut off her boyfriend. She inhaled deeply. “Is there anything else anyone is thankful for? Perhaps something shorter than what Percy had to say?”

“Hey!”

“Family,” Nico spoke up. He gave Annabeth a smile. “Thank you for family and friends.”

Annabeth smiled back. “To family.”

“To family,” Percy agreed.

It was only his fourth Thanksgiving since coming out of the Lotus Casino Hotel, but it was the first one he really enjoyed. Well, technically, it was his sixth Thanksgiving if the whole time travel thing was factored in.

Thanksgiving had been acknowledged at Westover, but nothing really special was done to celebrate it. Bianca had tried to spend as much of the day as she could with Nico, but the strict military school had kept their strict order up.

His second Thanksgiving had passed without much notice. He mostly wandered about the Underworld, only surfacing to attempt to convince Percy to take a dip in the Styx. Hades didn’t acknowledge the holiday, nor did he attempt to spend it with Nico.

His third Thanksgiving was at Camp Jupiter. Most of the legionaries were still distraught over Jason’s disappearance the month before which made for pretty lousy holiday cheer.

His fourth Thanksgiving was spent on Olympus. Leo Valdez was alive, but Jason was dead. Gaea’s troops had retreated only a month before and they were still recovering from the losses. No one had really been in the mood for celebrating what they were thankful for. There wasn’t much to be thankful for at that point.

His fifth Thanksgiving had been three months after he came back in time. Percy had invited him to celebrate with his mom and Paul, but Hazel had already made him promise to hang out with her. Yet again, the festivities had been overshadowed by Jason’s recent disappearance.

Now his sixth Thanksgiving was spent in New Rome with Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Will. He had helped save the world from complete destruction. Honestly, the only thing that could make it better would be if Leo descended from the sky on Festus with Calypso.

Nico cast a quick glance skyward to see if Leo was doing exactly that. Nothing would really surprise him at this point.

.

“I wish I had exploded from all that turkey you and Jason forced me to eat,” Nico moaned into his pillow.

Will snickered. “Come on, Nico! I wanna see the orientation film. Please, please, please, please-”

“Alright!” Nico snapped, pushing himself upright. He glared at Will. “I go with you to watch the stupid film.”

“Just teach me all the songs first.  _ It lets the demigods in! It shuts the monsters out! It keeps the half-bloods safe, but turns mortals _ \- OW!”

Nico whacked Will’s face with a pillow. “Don’t bring that up  _ ever _ again.”

“But  _ It’s Misty, and it’s magic, and it makes me want to shout: the border is all about! _ Haha, ow, Nico, stop!” Will laughed, holding up his hands defensively to protect himself from the pillows Nico was flinging at him.

“I swear, Will-”

“Okay, fine, I’ll stop,” Will chortled. He grabbed Nico’s hand and dragged him out of the Hades cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not specifically stated when they watch the orientation video, but Nico and Will ARE referred to as boyfriends, so I assume it's after they get together and people know about their relationship which for this story is November.
> 
> Oh when I read Camp Half-Blood Confidential, I couldn't stop laughing at Nico singing. So unlike him. But I think my favorite part was Apollo's marching song. "I don't know but I've been told..." hahaha!
> 
> Anyway... that's my chapter for today!


	82. A Theory (Annabeth LXXXII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References Demigods and Magicians. I am using my own interpretation of when the events of these three shorts stories took place to be after the Giant War, but before Trials of Apollo.

“Annabeth thinks she has an idea,” Percy said loudly and slowly, mouth as close to the faint Iris Message as he could put it without accidentally canceling it.

In the rainbow, Annabeth could barely make out Nico’s face. The image kept flickering and there were points where Nico disappeared from view for a few moments.

“... can’t… travel… when I… time…” Nico’s voice said. The image sputtered and then died.

Percy groaned. “When we go to Camp over break, we need to figure out how to contact each other.”

“You don’t think we haven’t been working on that?”

Annabeth spun around to see Nico sitting on Percy’s bed. He waved.

“Well, communication still sucks,” Percy said flatly. “Can’t the Hephaestus kids whip up something? Demigod phones or something like that?”

“ _ Leo _ could whip up something with an Archimedes Sphere,” Nico corrected. “Probably anyway. It doesn’t matter. It’s just communication between demigods that’s affected. Phones and emails don’t work. The mortals haven’t been having any problems though.” He looked at Annabeth. “What did you want to tell me? All I heard was ‘Annabeth’ and ‘idea’ which I think means you have an idea.”

Annabeth nodded. “Yeah. I think I figured out what’s going on. Maybe. It’s a better theory than Kronos doing something to us in Tartarus. And, well, it makes a lot of sense.” She hesitated. “You can’t say a word to anyone else, though. It would be… bad if anyone found out  _ they _ existed.”

Nico looked interested now. “They?”

“The Greek and Roman gods aren’t the only gods out there,” Percy said quietly, glancing at his closed door. “The Egyptian gods exist too.”

“What?” Nico gapped. “How did you find  _ that _ out?”

Percy winced. “Ran into a couple of magicians. Well, I ran into this kid back in September. Annabeth ran into his sister in November. Then the other day we met up to defeat Elvis Presley or whatever. Sette?”

“Setne,” Annabeth corrected. She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, the girl I ran into helped me stop Serapis. We destroyed his staff. The staff has three heads, and they each represent a different aspect of time: past, present, and future.”

“So you think this Serapis resurrected us?” Nico asked.

Annabeth bit her lip. “Well, yes, and no. Obviously at this point in the other timeline, most of the world is pretty much destroyed by Gaea. Even in November it was pretty bad. We would have been on Olympus at the time. Sa- I mean, the magicians would probably be dead. Neither of us would be around to stop Serapis. But Serapis was resurrected by Setne. Setne shouldn’t have been able to do that in the other timeline because  _ he _ would be dead due to Gaea.”

“Not necessarily,” Nico pointed out. “A few mortals survived until we could rescue them. Maybe this Setne was one of them.”

Percy frowned. “That’s true.” He glanced at Annabeth. “Do you think he sent us back  _ because _ his plans for world domination got ruined by Gaea? I mean, sending the Magicians back would be pretty useless because they couldn’t do anything to stop Gaea, but we’re perfect. Two of the Seven of the prophecy. Two kids of the Big Three.”

A chill ran down Annabeth’s spine. “Serapis  _ knew _ we were from the future? He knew I was from the future? Gods, how many deities know about this?”

Nico crossed his arms. “Doesn’t matter. Besides, it looks like you figured this out, Annabeth. Now let’s just live our lives like normal. We have a shot at a good life. Can we stop questioning it, and start being grateful for it?” He stood up. “Besides, I have more urgent news. We’ve completely lost communication with Camp Jupiter. I think it’s only a matter of time before we lose all communication.” He grimaced. "More than we already have anyway."

“Peachy,” Percy mumbled. He sighed. “Have you shadow traveled to Camp Jupiter, then? Talk to Ella and Tyson about the Sibylline Books?”

Nico grimaced. “I’m not allowed to. Ever since the thing with the Athena Parthenos I haven’t been able to go long distances without passing out. Will said I have to get Jules-Albert to drive me if I want to go.”

“He’s worried about you,” Annabeth said with a smile.

“He’s annoying is what he is.” Nico shook his head. “Are you two coming over break?”

Annabeth nodded. “That was the plan. It might only be for a few days though.”

“Annabeth is making me study for the SAT and the DSTOMP tests,” Percy grumbled.

“The what?”

“Standardized testing,” Annabeth explained. “Mortals take the SAT before applying to college. New Rome University requires us to take the SAT, plus a test for demigods called the DSTOMP.”

Nico snorted. “I’m so glad I don’t have to do that.”

“What are you going to do after you get too old for Camp?” Percy asked. “I mean, you’ll live in New Rome, right? We can be neighbors. Get like a little court or something for us. Annabeth and I will be the house with the pool and library. You and Will can be the house everyone goes to when they have a spear in their side or something or if they want McDonalds. Piper and Jason can be the house with the skydiving lessons. Frank and Hazel can be the house with the petting zoo-”

“Percy. What. The. Hades,” Nico said.

Annabeth stared at Percy. “I’m with Nico on this. How much effort have you put into thinking about this?”

“Oh, I just came up with that now.”

“Whatever, I don’t need to think about this right now,” Nico said quickly. “I have to get back to Camp though. So are you going or not? Because at this rate, I’m going to have to come get you via shadow travel.”

“Come on the twentieth,” Annabeth answered. “If we’re coming up, we’ll come then. Can you bring us back here on Christmas Eve?”

Nico nodded. “See you then.” He stepped back and faded into the shadows. Then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I poke fun at the fics where Leo magically whips up a demigod proof phone. IF it were possible, don't you think they would have done this by now? I believe Leo could do it because he has the Archimedes Sphere, but not in the short amount of time those fics seem to set. Although, to be fair, the years in which the series is set is only a few years after iPhone came out I believe, so I dunno. Were cell phones common place items for teenagers in the early 2000s? Might make sense why they don't think about it until more recently.
> 
> Also, Percy is totally my younger self. I was so very convinced me and my best friends would live together in this big house. We'd each have our own floor level and it would be fun! Oh yes, and we'd own a shop under our house and we'd sell shampoo and soap and deodorant. Why were we selling those things? I don't know.


	83. Christmas (Nico LXXXIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the various Christmas song lyrics that appear in this chapter.

“ _ It’s the most wonderful time of the year _ ,” Will sang off key as he yanked the covers off Nico. “Wake up, Death Boy. It’s almost noon and we’re supposed to be at the border to look out for Frank and Hazel. You’re supposed to get Percy and Annabeth too.”

Nico groaned and rolled onto his stomach, shoving his face into his pillow. “Go away.”

“ _ You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why _ ,” Will started singing again. “I’m not stopping until you get out of bed, Nico.  _ Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s making a list, and checking it twice- _ ”

Nico sat up and threw a pillow at Will. “Shut up. I’m getting up, okay?” he shook his head. “Where did you come up with all that anyway?”

Will gave Nico an exasperated look. “Nico. Christmas carols. Classic Christmas songs.”

“Isn’t Christmas a Catholic holiday?” Nico pointed out. “That’s kinda… sacreligious?”

“It’s festive,” Will dismissed. “Besides, in the mortal world people celebrate Christmas even if they don’t actually believe in the religion. It’s a commercialized holiday. It’s all about the gifts!” he said brightly.

Nico looked at him unimpressed. “You do realize that even if I  _ remembered _ celebrating with my mom and sister, my Christmases were  _ very _ different, right?” he asked. “1930s America, Will. It was probably more about family than gifts.”

“Right,” Will said, looking much less hyper. “But  _ now _ it’s commercialized and Greeks can celebrate it. Which means that  _ you _ can’t get out of the celebrations.” Once again, he was back to looking very excited.

.

“Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas,” Nico greeted Percy and Annabeth flatly when he appeared in the living room.

“You’re a regular old Scrooge today,” Annabeth said, looking up from her book.

“Bah humbug,” Nico retorted. “I was woken by Will’s gods awful singing,” he grumbled.

Percy frowned. “Why was Will waking you up?” he asked suspiciously.

Nico glared at him. “Because apparently sleeping in warrants a tone deaf rendition of Christmas songs to wake me up.” He crossed his arms. “You guys coming to Camp?”

“Percy? Is that Nico?” Sally called from the other room.

“Yeah, mom,” Percy answered.

Sally entered the living room. “Hi, Nico. How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Nico said. He looked at Percy and Annabeth. “Chiron’s not letting anyone leave Camp right now, so if you’re coming, you have to come with me now.”

“What’s going on at Camp?” Sally asked worriedly.

Nico shrugged. “We don’t know. Iris Messages are failing, people are getting lost trying to get to Camp… It’s strange.”

“We better get going then,” Percy said eagerly, closing the book he had been staring at.

Annabeth gave him a dirty look. “Did you even get through a page of the SAT prep book?”

“Oh, come on! You  _ know _ I understand stuff better when you help me!”

“I can’t help you during the actual test!”

“Sure you can. Invisibility hat, remember?”

“Gods, Percy, that’s cheating!”

Nico sighed. “Bye, Mrs. Jackson. I’ll return them in a few days,” he said, grabbing Percy and Annabeth by the arms before melting into the shadows.

.

“Isn’t this great?” Jason said happily. “First Christmas all together.” His smile faded. “Well, if Leo shows up anyway. Next year for sure.”

Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Percy, Annabeth, Will, and Nico had all gathered down at the beach at Camp Half-Blood for their Christmas celebration that had been decided to be held on Christmas Eve so the visitors could have time to return to their families to celebrate on the actual Christmas day.

“He’s taking his sweet time,” Hazel grumbled. “I thought you guys told him to come back earlier?”

Nico scoffed. Leo Valdez? Listen to what others tell him to do? Not likely to happen in a million years. Though, considering he had followed Annabeth and Percy’s plan to defeat Gaea to almost an absolute ‘t’, maybe the probability was closer to in a thousand years.

“Irregardless of Leo’s failure to cooperate with our Christmas plans,” Percy said, “this is something none of you are getting out of until the day you die. Birthdays and holidays and everything else… We’re all getting together to celebrate. So since we were on a quest to save the world all summer, uh, I think we missed some birthdays.” He frowned. “Uh, Jason. Happy 16th. And Leo, too. I’m sure wherever you are right now you can feel all sixteen punches Piper’s giving you.”

Piper laughed. “I hope so. When he finally comes back, I swear…”

“My beautiful girlfriend of course,” Percy said with a grin to Annabeth. “Happy 17th, Wise Girl.”

Annabeth smiled. “Thanks, Seaweed Brain. Happy 17th to you too.” She looked at Will. “And happy 15th to you, Will.”

“And now for a birthday a little closer to now,” Percy announced. “Happy 14th, Hazel!”

Hazel flushed. “Thanks. I… I didn’t really expect-”

“Also happy 83rd,” Percy added.

Nico shoved Percy. “Never remind a lady of her age,” he mock-scolded. “Gods, kids these days.”

That sent the whole group into a fit of laughter. Nico allowed himself a small smile as his friends all lost it.

“Okay, okay,” Percy said, holding his hands up. “Finally… MERRY CHRISTMAS!” he screamed.

“What the Hades, Percy?” someone said. “Who okayed you crazy heroes to run wild on the beach?”

“Hi, Lou Ellen,” Nico greeted. “Don’t worry. Percy’s the only crazy one here.”

Percy clutched his heart. “Nico! You just keep twisting the knife in my heart. First I’m not your type, and now you call me crazy?”

“You’re right,” Nico nodded. “You aren’t crazy. I blame all the seaweed, Seaweed Brain.” He shook his head. Really, sometimes Percy’s humor was endearing while other times it was annoying. The older Percy got, and the older Nico got, the more juvenile Percy seemed.

Lou Ellen eyed the group. “Well, don’t let me stop all the fun. I only came by to ask Will if he’s seen Cecil anywhere. I can’t find him.”

“Cecil’s missing?” Will asked sharply.

Lou Ellen bit her lip. “No. I’m sure he’s just wandered off. Christmas Eve, you know. Probably doing some last minute Christmas stealing from the gift shop.” She continued walking past them towards another group further down the beach.

Will stared after his friend. “You think he’s okay?”

“Child of Hermes,” Nico said. “They sneak off all the time.” But he couldn’t convince himself.

“Present time!” Percy and Jason cheered, breaking the somber air.

“What did I tell you,” Will said with a grin. “Commercialized.”

They passed out their presents to each other, and Nico was instantly hesitant to accept the small wrapped box from a maniacally grinning Percy.

“Youngest to oldest,” Will insisted. “That’s how we used to do gifts when I was younger. So Hazel, you’re first.”

Hazel opened each gift carefully. Her face lit up each time. However, Nico could see Percy getting antsy as he waited for her to open the gifts.

After Hazel was Nico. He opened Frank’s gift and snorted.

“Africanus extreme pack?” he asked, holding up the Mythomagic card deck. “Just in case we run into any more katobleps?”

“Can’t be too careful,” Frank said with a sheepish grin. “Plus, I’ve been told you were really good at Mythomagic. Figure I should see how much of that was true.”

Nico arched his eyebrow challengingly. “Oh really?”

“Come on,” Hazel said, handing him another present. “Eight demigods with ADHD here.”

The next one was from Percy. Nico poked the box.

“It’s not a bomb, Nico,” Percy complained.

Nico unwrapped the box hesitantly. Inside was a folded up black t-shirt.

“A black t-shirt,” Nico said flatly. “Thanks, Percy. How’d you know?” Then he pulled the shirt out of the box and chucked it at Percy’s face. “Dude! Seriously?”

In blue lettering on the front of the shirt, the words ‘Water Isn’t My Type’ were spelled out.

Percy laughed. “Come on, Nico! It was a joke. Annabeth and I got you this,” he said, handing Nico a different box. “You can keep the shirt though if you want.”

“I hate you,” Nico muttered, opening the new box.

“Oh come on,” Percy whined. “I could have gotten you a nice red, flowery Hawaiian shirt.”

Hawaiian shirts. The bane of his existence. Nico scrunched up his nose. “I’ll pass.”

The rest of the present opening passed without much more dramatics. Most of the gifts Percy gave ended up being gag gifts, so the real gifts were from both him and Annabeth which was probably a smart choice on Annabeth’s part.

“Merry Christmas, guys,” Frank said once they finished unwrapping their presents.

“Christmas carols!” Percy said happily.

“NO!” Nico shouted.

Will shot him a grin. “Too late.”

“ _ I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need. I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you…” _

It was cheesy, ridiculous. Percy sang the song way off-key to Annabeth who tried to sing as best she could despite laughing at her boyfriend’s antics. Jason and Piper seemed to be just enjoying themselves in the singing, leaning against each other. Frank looked slightly awkward singing along, but Hazel had a brilliant smile on her face as she sang.

And then there was Will. As much as Nico liked him, he wished the healer prone son of Apollo would stick to healing and leave the rest of Apollo’s traits (like singing, especially singing) to his siblings.

“ _ I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you. _ ”

“Shouldn’t you be heading home?” Nico cut across loudly.

Percy pouted. “Party pooper.” But he stood up and offered a hand to Annabeth.

“We should be going,” Annabeth agreed. “Sally invited my family over for Christmas Eve. I think my dad wants to talk to me about something too.”

Nico looked at Frank and Hazel. “Mrs. O’Leary can take you back whenever you’re ready. Jason and Piper, you two can catch a ride with them too if you want.”

Frank looked slightly ill. “Are you sure we can’t just-”

“It’ll be fine,” Hazel assured him.

“I like shadow traveling,” Percy piped up.

“Of course you do,” Will muttered.

Annabeth laced her fingers through Percy’s. “Come on, Seaweed Brain. Whenever you’re ready, Nico.”

.

“Oh my goodness!”

Sally barely glanced up. “Thank you, Nico.”

Nico grinned. “No problem, Mrs. Jackson.”

“Annabeth! Percy!” two voices chorused.

“Hey, Bobby. Hey, Matthew,” Percy greeted.

“You just… where did you three come from?” a woman sputtered.

Annabeth winced. “Oops. It’s called shadow travel. Nico, this is my family.”

Nico took in the disheveled appearance of Annabeth’s father, the put togetherness of her step-mother, and the two excited boys. “Oh. I’m Nico di Angelo.”

“Do you fight monsters like Annabeth?” one of the boys asked eagerly.

“How did you just appear?” the other asked.

Percy laughed. “Oh sweet payback.”

Nico glared at Percy. Then he returned his attention to the two boys. “Uh, yeah. I fight monsters. And I shadow traveled with Percy and Annabeth so I could return them here.”

“Shadow travel me!” the first one shouted. “I wanna try.”

“He can’t,” Annabeth said hastily. “Nico’s not supposed to be shadow traveling too much.” Nico caught her glancing at her step-mom worriedly.

“Which one are you then?” Mr. Chase asked interestedly. “I know Percy is Poseidon, right?”

Nico raised his eyebrow at Annabeth who shrugged. “My father is Hades. I really should be getting back to Camp though. Will probably thinks I’m passed out in the middle of nowhere,” he grumbled.

“Will’s a sweet boy,” Sally smiled. “He just worried about his friends.”

Percy scoffed. “Will worries about  _ Nico _ . He could care less when I walk into the infirmary with Clarisse’s spear sticking out of my shoulder.” He missed the horrified look Mrs. Chase gave him.

“He’s exaggerating,” Annabeth said, rolling her eyes. “Merry Christmas, Nico. Get back to your boyfriend.”

Nico flushed. “Please don’t.”

“Watch out for mistletoe,” Percy chortled. “I heard Drew talking about it.”

“If Drew puts any of that stuff above my head, not even Will could heal her,” Nico shot back. “I’ll put skeletons in her bed. The zombies may make a return appearance.”

“Then you’ll have to go see your doctor about that mood disorder,” Percy snickered.

“I hate you, Percy.”

“Merry Christmas!”

“Bah humbug,” Nico said as he stepped into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I did, but I hope I didn't offend anyone's religious beliefs or Christmas beliefs. I'm Catholic, so I'd like to say that I know for sure it's not offensive, but I don't so... But y'all gotta remember they ARE polytheistic, so it's not like I can have Will preaching about Jesus or anything.
> 
> Also, I realized while writing this that Nico would have been living in the middle of the Great Depression. Which was super sad to think about.
> 
> I figure that Hidden Oracle takes place mid-January since Annabeth is in Boston looking for Magnus at that time and Magnus Chase starts on January 13 I believe? So the disappearances that Chiron talks about having three in the last month starting with Cecil probably ropes in the end of December too. That's my best guess. Riordan Wiki has a very nice timeline of important events that I've been using until this point. It stopped being nice once we hit August 1, 2010. 2011 is just like in January Sword of Summer and Hidden Oracle happened. What days did everything happen on? Lol, you're on your own!
> 
> After this, one more chapter!


	84. Why? (Percy LXXXIV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are. The end of the story. It's been a long journey and this story has done so much better than I thought it would do.
> 
> When They Came started out as a simple "I want to try my hand at PJO/HOO time travel" story. Time travel fics are one of the fics I love writing, and I had never managed to figure out how to successfully write one within this universe because of the prophecies I didn't think I could change. Certainly when I started writing this, I never imagined I would have a sequel in the works after this. I thought I would just finish the war with Gaea and have them figure out why they came back in time and then it would lead into the Trials of Apollo books. Done. The end.
> 
> But I've gotten nothing but good reviews for this, so that's what has inspired me to continue the story.
> 
> Big thanks to everyone who bookmarked my story: AquaEclipse, MimiBee, Aleep, FictionFan2014, Madisonhorton804, Victoriarose3, butnowitsfadingfast, Kaetbab, whispering_willowing_wisps, annabeth10320, Kathrine22Ruse, c0l0r_bl1nd_n355, goneforbooks, Thatbookgirl747, beckywantsherbreaky, Kae_Est, Kjar_Rokulaine, Erica45, morninglion123, Xenon912, TigressinCreamSilk, AnonymousAlliteration, Bellawella395, EmyRose22, Jackiegirl, StarlightXNightmare, House_Of_Marcella, apatheticreader96, brookeyy14, AlexNico, mmorriss1012, EterDes230, Imma_Jayasundera, TheGOAT0412, Animelover2354, olivria1, Ely_bianca, and Thelonelyweirdgirl.
> 
> Also thank you to everyone who left kudos: PrincessinPink, Tomboywolf201, Prickat, Bashful_Kitsyuu, aliensarerising, eddiespots, 1Haha_ispendmytimeridingfanfiction_haha1, Freddle444, FrivMasterAnthony2, LittleGiant13, Makigaki, EllieSunders, Nousername123, Fuckin_Mess, Kurona13, jaded_of_mara, chainseed, Tigerwolfqueen, sid_pinetree, spark_M, brookeyy14, julialiacoutinho, Spectre18, Kuravera, EterDes230, Sunshinysunshine, The_German_Grim_Reaper, Dolphinvulcan, fandomgirlz520, asoftheart, AlexNico, TheGOAT0412, Mystic_Ender, olivria1, Lyxla, amalia_k, ghostgirl809, browny811, Thatbookgirl747, mknopp, Endlespi, whereisyourcahier, Kae_Est, alonelyghost, ThePumpkinKingsWife, IAmNotCreativeEnoughForThis, Erica45, LeafoftheFox, Madisonhorton804, Colleex, stormfalls, cutekittygrowl, morninglion123, hit_bluecherry, thisisacryforhelp, Caecus57, Real_Nola_LaRue, literallyjustdestiel, xelmore, ArtyRave27, whispering_willowing_wisps, Mayaryanne, eosrising, ILostMyPenInMyHair, annabeth10320, c0l0r_bl1nd_n355, TheRavenSaidNeverMore, AKCALBM, BobTBuildet, Aleep, House_Of_Marcella, sunsetblues, Marcus_Aurelius_Antoninus, sracha1713, AquaEclipse, Typicalobbywinner, Hewwo3, Stalker203X and HereSheLies as well as the 119 guests.
> 
> Now, without further ado... THE LAST CHAPTER OF WHEN THEY CAME!!!!!

Percy’s eyes swam with words and letters. Sometimes it sucked having a brain that was hardwired for Ancient Greek.

“Can’t I possibly take the SAT in Greek?” he asked for the hundredth time.

His mom shot him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, sweetheart. English is your first language.”

“Chiron could do something with the Mist though,” Percy tried hopefully.

“Didn’t Nico say no one was allowed to leave Camp right now?”

“Nico could shadow travel him to AHS and back,” Percy pointed out. “Or maybe the super awesome and amazing Hecate herself might come down and help me?” he said, looking up. Nothing happened. “Worth a shot.”

Percy drummed the table with his pencil. “When is Paul getting back?”

“In a few hours, Percy,” Sally said in amusement. “It’s just a teacher in-service.”

“This stuff is easier to understand when he or Annabeth explain it.”

Annabeth had left a week ago for some family emergency. Under better conditions, Percy wouldn’t have minded, but with communication down, he couldn’t focus at all on his studies. He knew she was probably having a hard time being away from him for so long. The nightmares were particularly bad the first three nights. But Percy had begged Paul to help him while Annabeth was gone so he could have something to show his girlfriend in regards to SAT preparation.

The buzzer rang.

Percy looked at his mom hesitantly. “Are we expecting anyone?”

Sally’s face was white. “No. It can’t be anything bad, right? Monsters don’t usually ring the bell before trying to…” she trailed off and her hands drifted to her seven months pregnant stomach. She moved over to the speaker. “Yes?” she said.

“Hello. Um, this is going to sound strange.”

Percy reached for Riptide. He uncapped the pen, causing his mother to jump as the pen changed into a sword.

“This is Apollo. The, uh, god Apollo. Can I see Percy?”

Percy dropped his sword in shock. “Did he just say…”

“I thought you said Apollo was missing?” Sally whispered.

Percy picked up the sword and capped it. It turned back into a pen which he slipped into his pocket. “He is. Was. I just don’t know why he’s taking the front entrance. Apollo’s like all for the dramatics and stuff, right? He’d like appear in a flash of light or something.”

“Um, it’s kind of important. Plus I have this other demigod with me.”

Percy sighed. “Send him in.”

Sally pushed a button on the speaker. She gave Percy a worried look. “I’ll be in the kitchen, okay? If it is a monster, try not to destroy the house too much.”

Percy waited by the door, peering out of the peephole. He saw two figures walking towards the door. One appeared to be a brown haired teen boy, while the other was a brown haired girl, probably about twelve. He swung open the door.

“Why?” Percy asked.

The girl inched behind the boy who Percy assumed was Apollo. Although, why the god appeared to have been in a fight recently and smelled like trash was beyond Percy. Maybe he was going for the Fred the Hobo look again.

The boy gave Percy an awkward smile. “I’d offer my blessings, but I don’t think that would be much help right now.” He gestured to the girl behind him. “This is Meg McCaffrey. She’s a demigod who must be taken to Camp Half-Blood. We just fought some street thugs.”

Percy blinked. “Wait. This new… look isn’t just a disguise? What happened to you? Is that  _ blood _ on your hands?”

Apollo glanced down at his hands. He seemed surprised to see the bloody knuckles. “Oh, well, yes. May we come in? I’m fairly certain we are being followed by malicious spirits.”

“Maybe you better come inside,” Percy sighed. He opened the door wider so Meg and Apollo could enter the apartment. He led them into the kitchen. “Mom? This is Apollo and Meg.”

“Apollo?” Sally blinked. “The god?”

Apollo winced. “Well, you see, that was part of why I came here. I am no longer a god. Zeus made me mortal as punishment for starting the war with Gaea. Which I did  _ not _ start,” he said quickly. “Congratulations, Ms. Jackson.”

Percy and his mom looked surprised. Honestly, he had not been expecting Apollo to be so… nice? Polite?

“Thank you,” Sally said. She glanced at Meg. “Uh, Percy? Why don’t you help Apollo get bandaged up. Those hands look painful. I think he wanted to speak with you?” she cast a look at Apollo.

Percy sighed. “Yeah, okay. Come on.” He gestured for Apollo to follow him.

.

When they got to Percy’s room, Percy closed the door behind him and then turned to face Apollo with arms crossed.

“What do you want?” Percy snapped. “This isn’t exactly a good time for me. I’m supposed to be studying for-”

“SAT and DSTOMP,” Apollo finished. He looked so much unlike the god of archery, poetry, and music that Percy was tempted to bring out his sword and swing. Apollo took a deep breath. “I need your help. I wasn’t sure who to go to or what to do. But you’ll understand. You’ll know what to do.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “How will  _ I _ know what to do? I have no idea how to turn you back into a god. And how’d you know what I’m studying for?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Apollo said, waving his hands. “You and those two friends of yours. You’ve done this before.”

Percy’s blood ran cold. “My two friends? We’ve done this before? Which two friends?” Unfortunately, he was pretty sure which ones.

“Nico di Angelo and Annabeth Chase,” Apollo answered.

Percy looked at Apollo in shock. “Please tell me you don’t mean what I think you mean.”

Apollo looked apologetic. “I’m afraid I do. And I’m in quite the dilemma, Percy Jackson. Already I have changed things, but I’m not sure if I should have changed them.” His eyes grew sad. “But there are things I must change. Things I cannot allow to happen if it is within my power to stop them from happening. I will not sit by and watch my… my friends get hurt.”

_ Why me? _ Percy shouted. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Maybe you should tell me the highlights. Or at least what’s coming up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes I did!
> 
> Not sure what the next book in the series (because yes, it is a series now) will be called. I've played around with a few: The Fallen God, The Man Who Would be a God, and Trials of a Mortal God. Don't really like them as much as When They Came. Any ideas?
> 
> Now for the new story I'm working on until I can get my hands on Tower of Nero... this is inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. About the scene in Blood of Olympus where Will and Nico meet at Half-Blood Hill. It was a little spoof of that scene but in Will's PoV. And someone said that we need the PJO books rewritten from the PoV of a certain child of Apollo...
> 
> WELL I'M DOING IT!!!
> 
> Working summary: At nine years old, Will Solace was just beginning to grasp the idea that he might not actually be a normal kid. On his ninth birthday, he was whisked away from his home in Texas with his mom to live in a place called Camp Half-Blood where he learns he's a demigod. Will meets new friends in the Hermes cabin like Luke Castellan, Travis and Connor Stoll, and Cecil Markowitz. After he's claimed by Apollo, he meets Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew who are more than willing to take on their new brother. But after a trip to Olympus for the Winter Solstice, it's clear something's brewing. And it probably has to do with that new kid Percy Jackson.
> 
> I also have no idea what to call it. Originally, it was going to be a Solangelo story (well, it still is, but that's not the whole point of the story anymore) and I had decided to call it A Drop in the Ocean (like the song), but now I think I'd rather do that as the title of the- I mean, the title of a different story that might be more Solangelo centered. Please let me know if you have any ideas.


End file.
